This Life of Ours
by lady05giggles
Summary: Ana needs an investment for her Theater company. When she meets with a potential investor, she unknowingly meets the man who will change her life forever.
1. Chapter 1

**PART 1: FIRSTS COMES LOVE in** **Anastasia Point of View**

 **Chapter 1**

This is it. This is my last chance. _Don't blow it Ana!_

I'm sitting on a lovely grey sofa chair in a pristine white room at the reception room of Grey Enterprises Holdings Inc. or GEH. The company is a global leader in communications technologies, eco-manufacturing, and next generation farming solutions, and for some crazy reason, a possible investor for my movie café business.

I try not to think about how it took me four meetings to get here. I act casual, glancing at my phone like I'm someone important, when really I'm checking on 'My Café Story' game. Got to make sure my scones don't spoil. _You are such a silly little girl. They will never take you seriously._

I. HATE. MY. INNER. VOICE!

She appeared when I was 15. I thought I was smart, beautiful and awesome, when really I was insecure and naïve. My inner voice decided to rear her ugly voice then, and told me everything in my life was not as it seems. She was there when I needed her the most, but I dislike her right now. I like to call her Anastasia, my actual full name.

"Good Morning, this is Grey Enterprises Holdings. How may I help you?"

I immediately get up, and walk over to the beautiful blond secretary, with my tray of delicious treats in hand, ready for my pitch meeting. I quickly realize the lovely blond was answering the phone. _That was not for you, you silly little girl._ She is sitting behind a giant dark oak desk! How was I supposed to know? I play it off by pretending to stretch. 'Don't look at me, I'm not anxious at all,' I say to myself, but here it comes, the dreaded blush of embarrassment that covers my pale cheeks. I hate being embarrassed. _What are you doing here? You are so out of your league silly little girl._

I am not out of my league or silly! I am little. I'm only 5'4". _5'2"!_ I wish I had a more commanding presence. Nonetheless, I am a businesswoman, who should be taken seriously. _At five feet, two inches._ I already have four movie cafés open, running smoothly and re avery successful. I have an offer on the table to open another one in Los Angeles. How many people can say that? _At an incredible five feet, two inches._ I just can't afford to run a business in another state...yet.

So here I am, wearing my white button up collar shirt and black slacks looking more like a waitress then a businesswoman. I didn't even put effort in my hair, braiding my long wavy thick brown hair. I am at least in a pair of black heels. _Kate's heels._ I know.

My roommate, best friend, business marketer and pretty much my everything, Kate Kavanagh, made me wear heels to the meeting. She had an outfit of a blue business suit that she owns picked out for me, but I had no time to put it on. I needed to make sure the food samples were perfectly made. I had to setup Seattle café for today's customers, since I don't have a manger. And Seattle traffic is a bitch. Kate will kill me if she saw what I was wearing, or at least make fun of me mercifully.

Compare to the beautiful blond secretary-her name is Andrea Wilks-who is in an expensive and lovely grey sleeveless dress that goes to her knees and a tight bum that sits at the nape of her neck, I look like I should be cleaning her office, not pitching an expansion of my Washington based company. _Maybe they will hire you as their baker for their next office gathering. Give you hundreds of thousands of dollars to invest in your business, I don't think so._ I need to clear my head, think positively.

Memories of my father come into my mind. My father, Raymond Steele, always wanted to run his own movie theater after he retired from the military. He did in his late forties, and owned it til he died. He would show the new movies that would definitely make money, and the independent films and classic movies to satisfy regular customers. I started to work there part time at the food court. When he got too sick from lung cancer to manage the theater everyday, I helped and proudly kept it going after he died. Now we have a small but successful franchise. I can only imagine what he would think of the company now.

He loved movies, an easy past time when you are not on active duty. "Annie, the best movies happened in the 70s, when people were high and no one cared about the box office. True renegade filmmaking," my father explained when I was a child. He once showed me Jaws, a proper education on what sharks were like, he told me. I was only 8 and it made me scared to swim in a pool, but I loved the time I spent watching movies with him. I miss him. _Me too._

"Anastasia Steele?" Andrea says, knocking me out of my daydream.

"Yes?" I quickly respond.

"You may set up in the conference room." I pick up my office bag, and tray of bacon breakfast paninis, and follow Andrea.

The conference room is made of plexiglass walls on one side and floor to ceiling windows on the the front there is a large projection screen that has a computer and podium in the corner. In the center is a giant dark oak table that seats at least 12 people, even though I don't think 12 people will be here. At the last meeting I had with Ros Bailey, the COO at GEH, she told me we only needed to convince the big boss, and I would have my investment. She was excited about investing in a combined restaurant and movie theater that originated in Washington. "This could be the next Starbucks!" she excitedly said. I don't know if we will become that big, but her enthusiasm gave me confidence. _She is going to be here, right? We need Ros! She is our only hope._

"Do you need any help or have any questions Ms. Steel?" Andrea politely asks.

"No, I think I'll be fine. I do have one question. Do you know if Ros Bailey will be here today?" I ask oh so casually.

"Oh no, she won't. She had an emergency meeting with a company down south. Would you like to leave her a message?" Great! _Fucking Great!_

"No thank you, I was curious," and want to cry.

"I will be at my desk if you need anything." Andrea walks out of the room to her desk.

 _I got it! You collapse on the floor and pretend to sprain your ankle. Then, we get the hell out of here._ No! This is the opportunity of a lifetime. I want to expand my business. I need this money. All the other potential investors thought my business concept had no potential, wanted to change everything or didn't take me seriously. Several theaters in the country serve food. My cafés are nothing special. Except, my food is better, not crap junk food. The experience is better. We offer a great price for everything. Our system for service is nearly perfect. We are ahead of our competition when it comes to dine in theaters. We need to strike, while it's hot. _Whoa! You actually sound like a business woman Miss Steele. Go get em' tiger!_ Thank you, I will.

I set up the breakfast paninis on small paper plates at the back table. I move to hook up my thumb drive to the computer in the front. I open up my 15 minutes presentation. 15 minutes; that's all the time I was allowed to show I have a winning business concept in front of the most powerful people in GEH.

I quickly go through the PowerPoint, making sure everything is working. Suddenly a group of men and women in very classy business suits, walk out of the main elevator. This must be the people I'm presenting to. They walk in having quiet, but serious conversations among themselves, taking seats like they are assigned specifically to them. I count six people, but we are missing one person, considering the head of the table is still open. _The big boss._

"Please, help yourself to a sample of paninis we serve at Annie's Movie Café." They all turn to me, looking confused. They look at each other, having silent conversations on whether they should take my offer or not, except for one man. He gets up, goes to the back table, and grabs a plate. He seems somewhat out of place here, with shaggy dark hair, thick black glasses, a plaid brown and green shirt, with a green bowtie, and suspenders holding up his pants. Even with his old time fashion, he looks to be in his early 20s. I like this man already.

"This is delicious. What cheese is this?" He asks, after taking a large bite.

"It is smooth cheddar. We melt it, like a grilled cheese sandwich, before adding the bacon and fried egg. The tomato and lettuce is added last to stay fresh." He seems to like it. "By the way, my name is Anastasia Steele, the owner of Annie's Movie Café, but you probably already know that."

"Barney Sullivan, head of the IT department, and no, I didn't know that. I thought you were a caterer." _Of course!_ "Nice to meet you," he says, as he chows down on his sandwich and shakes my hand at the same time.

"Nice to meet you too. And the rest of you are?" I ask, ready to shake everyone's hand.

"We should wait to make introductions until Mr. Grey is here," a beautiful black woman with curly hair going to her shoulders, looking highly professional in her brown pants suit cautiously says.

"No need to wait Mrs. Walker." And there he is. _The Big Boss!_ He walks in confidently to sit at the head of the table. He is the owner of GEH, Mr. Christian Grey. He is tall, dark and handsome. _Literally!_ He has dark copper hair that you can run your hands through, but looks like it was styled by a hairdresser that morning. He has bright grey eyes, that look intense. He has plump lips that I can't help but stare at. I luckily look further down. He has a black suit, with grey pin stripes, a crisp collar button up white shirt and a grey tie to match. He pairs the suit with black suede shoes that look like they were polished. A perfect outfit for a gorgeous man, but it's the body that's in it that has me staring longer.

He is slightly tan, clean shaven, and manly. Someone who looks like he can hunt for his dinner with his bare hands. He looks like he works out, but is still lean. He has a firm butt. _How do you know?_ To be honest, I don't, but I bet he does just by the way his pants fit his body perfectly. He looks like Superman in a business suit; Clark Kent if he wore glasses. I can only imagine him saving me from a burning building and then riding my body of my burnt clothes to then give me CPR. _Really?! Having dirty thoughts, before your business presentation, looking like you should be a caterer and not an owner of a very successful businesses?! You should of changed! YOU SHOULD OF CHANGED SILLY LITTLE GIRL!_ He is overwhelmingly sexy.

I walk over to him, praying I don't fall. "Hello, my name is Anastasia Steele. Nice to meet you Mr. Grey." I reach for his hand, hoping mine is not too sweaty. He looks at me with his smoldering gray eyes, like he can see right through me. I hope he can't because I didn't wear cute underwear.

"Ms. Steele, it is nice to meet you," he states, but there is a sudden hesitation in his hand shake when an electric shock goes through us when we touch. He must have felt it too. He releases my hand quickly, readjusts himself in his seat.

"Everyone introduce yourselves," he commands. I walk around shaking their hands when they state their name and position at GEH. I purposely do not look at Mr. Grey, trying not to make a fool of myself.

In the room, there is Andrea Wilks again, who I find out is the head secretary at GEH. Rachel Walker is the beautiful black woman, who was initially nervous to introduce herself. I understand now. She is head of marketing, someone I am sure will be working with closely. Kenny Hanada is head of accounting and finance, Carol Harrison, head of human resources, Bobby Richards, head of research and development and of course Barney, who just finished his sandwich. These are the top people of the company, minus Ros. I am a little surprised considering I don't feel like my business is that big. Ros did tell me, "If we play our cards right, AMC can expand across North America, Asia and Europe. It is that good of an idea." Ros always had big ideas for the the company. _I wish she was here._ I will just have to use the talking points she mentioned and pretend to be her for the next 15 minutes.

"Mr. Grey, here is a sample of our breakfast panini we serve at Annie's Movie Café." I place a plate in front of him. "It is one of our most popular sellers." He dismisses the plate, moving it out of his way.

"I'm not hungry." He states matter-of-factly. That stings a little bit.

"It is really good, sir." Barney says, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

"Before you make such an investment, it is probably important to taste the product." I cheerfully explain, but hopefully not in an annoying way. I don't want to push this man. "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day." He looks at me curiously. He doesn't seem angry, but surprise that I am pushing him. I hope I don't come off rude.

"Fine... if you insist. Everyone join me." Everyone gets up and grabs a plate for themselves. They start eating, some seem like they have not eaten all today. Makes sense, considering they were probably working thus far. Even Christian makes a _delicious_ moaning sound that I doubt anyone noticed besides me. I walk towards the podium, ready myself to present, as everyone consumes their sandwiches rather quickly. _They seem to like it! Eeeeee!_

"This is fantastic!" Rachel says, finishing up.

"Told you!" Barney smugly states back. "Are there anymore by chance?"

"There are plenty more, if you go to Annie's Movie Cafe, or AMC, the best dine-in theater experience in Washington." _Alright, I'm ready. Let's do this!_

"AMC has four locations, two sites in Vancouver, one being our original theater, Tacoma, and Seattle, which is are newest theater. I was able to expand my company based on the profits of the previous theaters and the demand for more AMCs. The demand came from our social network sites, where we communicate to our growing fan base.

The reason why people love to go to AMC because we expanded your typical movie experience to include food, drinks and merchandise. The first theater in Vancouver started out as a simple movie theater owned by my father Raymond Steele, but as he became sick," I accidentally pause being caught off guard by the sudden emotions I am thinking about those dark and troubling times, trying to help my sickly father and running a business at the same time. Everyone is staring at me, with Mr. Grey looking the most angry. I'm simply trying not to cry. _Lock it up Ana! Ray would not want you to break down._

"Excuse me." I clear my throat and continue. "As my father was working less, I took over and noticed the growing problems we were having at the theater. People loved the movies we showed and the overall appearance, but I noticed our food sales were terrible. I decided to change that with the assistance of my cooking degree I received at Le Cordon Bleu Seattle" _Perfect!_

"I completely changed the menu to food items that could be made from a food truck we invested in. I made ready to order café food items, like sandwiches you are eating now, burgers, tacos, and salads that were served to customers right before their movie. Because movies were shown at a specific time period, 12:00pm, 4:00pm, 7:00pm, and 9:00pm, we were able to serve people efficiently, with enough time to prepare for the next service. We had our service down almost perfectly." I show pictures of our kitchen and staff at our food truck. I even have a short 20 second video of service, which shows how long it takes to serve one meal.

"With the help of my friend, and current marketing manager, Katherine Kavanagh, our customer base grew, while still serving our regulars. Eventually we grew too large for our small theater, and opened a larger movie theater that actually had a suitable kitchen for us to work with. After renovations, we opened for business, and business grew exponentially considering we were so close to Portland.

With the new Vancouver café I wanted to create more of an experience at the movies. One of my favorite experiences are concerts. I decided to make the movie experience more like a concert. Working with fandango, people are able to purchase their tickets beforehand, select their seats, and are able to sit at the theater 30 to 45 minutes before the show. Before the show, we show movie trivia and movie news videos. You can purchase movie merchandise that the movie companies provide, like posters. You can also order and eat your meal. Our specials are usually themed. Then you can enjoy your movie in our very comfortable lounge seats." That is when I show pictures of our venues. "We also have an excellent film and digital projector, wide floor to ceiling IMAX screens, and one of the best atmospheric sound systems in all our theaters."

"Really?! What kind of sound system do you have?" Barney curiously asks.

"Not now Barney, we can discuss technical aspects later." Mr. Grey chasties. _There is a 'later'. That is good._ "Please continue Ms. Steele."

"At AMC, we have excellent contracts with the four major studios to show all the upcoming big budget films, as well as independent movie companies to show smaller films. With our ability to show a diverse amount of movies, AMC became really successful.

With our success with our Vancouver locations, I wanted to go to a bigger city. I wasn't ready for a place like Seattle, so we went to Tacoma. Once again, we had great success, to the point of people from Seattle making the drive to our Tacoma Theater. I decided to make the leap and go to Seattle. At first, running the site at Seattle was difficult."

I am abruptly interrupted by Kenny Hanada, "What about the financials? What are your profit margins? How much do you spend on average per customer? How much do you earn in a day?" This is the part I am most nervous about because my dad was the one who did the finances. I hired an accountant, and he helps me understand the numbers. I study this everyday.

I skip a few slides and list off our financial information, displaying charts and graphs that shows everything they possible need to know. I explain the graphs in detail and show how much money we spend to pay for food, maintenance, contracts, and marketing. I got through this part of the presentation without making a mistake, thankfully. "You also have copies of my financial books."

"We do Mr. Hanada?" Mr. Grey asks in a very perturbed manner.

"Uh, yes Mr. Grey." Kenny says uneasily. I hope I didn't get him in trouble. _If he had the books, what's with all the financial questions? He knew the answers._

"Do they look accurate and up to my standards?"

"Yes Mr. Grey. Mrs. Bailey and I went through them thoroughly. Everything looks very good."

"Then why did you ask the questions?" _See, I told ya._

"I…wanted to make sure….she knew." _Of course she knows, you looser, she runs the dam place. This isn't Shark Tank._

"That is ridiculous." He turns back to me. "Anastasia, you may continue." _Holy shit, he said my name!_

"Thank you Mr. Grey." I try to continue even though it feels tense in here. "At first it was difficult going into Seattle. We were going up against corporate theaters. Our site we found needed a lot of work. We spent the extra money in renovations by getting the best construction work done using Grey's Construction and Design. After the renovations, the theater was perfect, and ready for business. Currently, AMC Seattle is our most successful site." Ros made sure I mentioned Elliot Grey.

"You hired my brother?" Mr. Grey asks in an amused tone.

"Yes Mr. Grey, I did, and I had a great experience working with him. He satisfied my every need." Mr. Grey's looks at me with angry scowl. _That is not anger littler girl that is jealousy._ "I think he would be great to work with in the future."

"So why do you need GEH investment Miss Steele? You seem like you have it all figured out." I feel like I am losing the deal. He asked me that questions like he could care less what my answer is. _You have to go for the big guns here. Be honest._

"Because, it was my father who wanted me to do this before he died. We were all setup to open an AMC at the capitol of movie cities, Los Angeles. My father found a place when he went on vacation there. He said it was a perfect AMC location. My father wanted to invest in a building he found. We didn't have enough funds to make a proper investment to buyout the building, so my father was ready to give his retirement fund to the building. But..his lung cancer got worse...his hospital bills increased...We had to spend the money in getting him better, but nothing worked." I wipe a tear away. I might be sad over his death, but I'm not weak. I can run this company.

"When he passed away, he asked me to promise him to not give up on the dream of expanding the company. I promised him, and now I will do everything I can to not stifle this company's growth. I know you don't typically invest in a company like mine. That is why I found an investor in LA, who will cover part of the costs. Since GEH is an international company, I figure investing in a local company will be nothing for you. Plus with the ecofriendly way we conduct our business, I figure-"

"GEH will provide you half of your asking price. I will personally cover the rest if you get rid of that LA investor. I don't need anyone's help with managing a company, no matter how different it is from my current portfolio." Christian Grey states matter-of-factly. _Is that a smirk from the Mr. Grey? Oh my god! Perfect!_

"Yes. Of course." I whisper. I'm done, I got the investment. I am so excited, I want to jump up and down and high five myself. _Play it cool Ana!_ "Thank you Mr. Grey. Thank you so much." I walk faster than I have all day, almost running to shake Mr. Grey's hand, but Barney bumped in me with his chair as he moved to stand and I fall to the floor on all fours, feeling like I might have sprained my ankle.

 _Well, almost perfect little girl….Wait._ _Did Mr. Grey just growl?_

 **A/N: I have a pinterest. Check it out** **in my profile.** **Here's the link:** **lady05giggles/50-shades-this-life-of-ours-part-1/. I know you can't copy and paste, but if you search lady05giggles, you should be able to find it.** **Warning though, it does have many of part 1 pictures. So there are spoilers. I wish pinterest would show older pictures first. Oh, well. 'See' you soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"I did it daddy. I got the deal." I am standing at my father's grave, telling him the good news. I rarely do this. I visit my dad less and less because of my busy schedule, but this was a major event. He should know.

I am at the Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent, Washington. It is a beautiful cemetery, where a few of my father's comrades were buried. He wanted to be with them after he died, and I was not going to argue with that.

I told dad that our dreams officially came true yesterday; we are expanding AMC nationally. I signed the contract yesterday morning with Mr. Grey, even though we had a verbal agreement for about a month now. We had to make it official. Several lawyers got involved because this has the potential to be a very successful business, but luckily everything worked out.

Ros was thrilled at the contract signing. She had a smile on her face the whole time. Kate took pictures. I wasn't sure if it was very professional, but Mr. Grey didn't seem to mind. He smiled, even though he was distant the whole day.

"I'm so happy you pushed me to doing this. I was worried I was making a mistake. I am not much of a businesswoman, more like a chef. I had to hire someone to do taxes for goodness sake. But, I guess someone believes in me." _Even after falling on your ass._ I made a fool of myself at the end of the meeting, but Mr. Grey still accepted my offer. He has not said much this past month, but I'm not sure how our relationship should work yet.

"I'm going to work my hardest, day and night. For the longest, I thought I was doing this for you. You were the one who wanted to run a movie theater, remember? But now, I know this is my dream too. I think we have a really great company in our hands." I am getting excited at the possibilities. Having GEH and Christian himself back AMC is huge. There was an article in Business Weekly about it. Not a lot of people get this opportunity, especially someone like me, a young, first time restaurant owner. But here I am, closing my first big deal.

"I'm nervous about what to do next. I'm still unsure what it means for GEH and Mr. Grey to be investing in our company." I should really call Ros. She would explain this to me, but I didn't realize she was only helping me get the deal. That is her main role at GEH, acquisitions. So she will not be helping me much further. _You should be able to do this on your own Ana. You own the company...but hell! I'm scared too._ Ros is also good at selling companies for profit. Now I'm scared to have her call me thinking it will be my departure from GEH. Mr. Grey is the one who manages companies. So am I supposed to call him? _Oh god no!_ _Not after the way you 'fell' for him._

"I remember once you told me don't let pride and stubbornness get in your way from what needs to be done. Should I include fear as well daddy?" I giggle at my silly comment. I shouldn't be afraid to call an investor. We should be partners, equals. _Psh. Yeah right._

"I am going to do it dad. I am going to call Mr. Grey, and figure this...thing out. Give me the courage dad...wherever you are. I always love you." I give my air kiss to his grave and walk away. I head out of the cemetery to my old and unreliable light blue VW Beetle. I have got to get rid of this car considering how much I drive. I need to get something reliable and professional, not something I bought used in college.

But first, the phone call. I get into the car and call GEH offices on my cell phone. I might as well do this now, while I have the guts.

"Grey Enterprise Holdings, how may I direct your call?" I get the secretary for GEH, not Andrea, Mr. Grey's personal secretary. Let's see if I can.

"Hello, my name is Anastasia Steele. May I speak to Andrea Wilks?"

"What is the meaning of your phone call?" Should I lie? I don't think so. I should be able to get to Mr. Grey. _You should lie. You should really lie._

"I need to speak to Mr. Grey. He invested in my company recently, and I had a question for him."

"Mr. Grey will only talk to people who scheduled a meeting with him. Do you have one?"

"I did, yesterday, but I have a question for him now."

"You will have to set up a meeting with him in order to talk to him. Have a nice day." (Click) She just hung up on me. I should've lied. _Told you!_ How do I setup a meeting with Mr. Grey? The only reason I got a meeting with him in the first place was because of Ros.

I look in my purse for my business notepad. I like to keep thorough notes after all meetings. I should type them, but I don't have a laptop, only my PC at home. I should buy a laptop soon as well. _And_ a car. _How about a business degree while we are at it. Sounds like you need one._ I'm starting to freak out a little, but calm down after I find Ros's work number. I decide to call her. Maybe she can direct me to Mr. Grey. _Doubtful._ Not now.

"Ros Bailey's office, how may I help you?" A male secretary answers the phone.

"Hello, my name is Anastasia Steele. I would like to talk to Ros Bailey."

"Do you have a meeting with Ms. Bailey?" _Lie!_

"She worked at acquiring my business recently, and I was supposed to get a phone number from her today."

"Please hold." I have no clue what he is checking, but if I can just get to Ros, I could get to Mr. Grey. "You are not in her schedule, and I cannot reach her right now. Would you like to leave a message?" I have no clue what message I would leave, so I have to go in a different direction.

"I actually have her cell phone number written on her business card here, but it is a little hard to read." Which I actually don't, but hopefully this will work. "It's 206-454-8711, correct?" There's a pause.

"Nice try." (Click) _Are you fucking kidding me!_ _Great, that was dumb._ Now I'm not sure what to do. Maybe I should wait to see what happens with Mr. Grey and how my business will be managed. But, I don't want to start this business relationship uncertain. I need to go for it. No more being hesitant and shy when it comes to AMC. _You do have Barney Sullivan's number._ I do!

A few days after my presentation, Barney came into AMC Seattle to see the movie Attack the Block. We had a discussion about alien invasion movies and what were our favorites. My favorite is The Thing. His was Mars Attack! He's a weird man. He also got the BLT panini, which he enjoyed again. He gave me his business card, so we could setup a meeting to make the website better. Maybe he can help me get to Mr. Grey. _Offer him free food at AMC. He will definitely take the bribe._ I call him.

"Hey Ana." He answered his phone immediately. _This is a great start._

"Hey Barney. How did you know it was me?"

"Caller ID of course."

"Oh. I thought you had to have people's phone number programmed in your phone in order to get their name."

"Legally, yes." _Don't ask questions, just get what you want._

"Anyways, I need to get hold of Mr. Grey and am having trouble reaching him. Could you help me?"

"What do you need to talk to him about?" I am not going to lie to Barney. He seems willing to help. _Plus he could probably figure out you are lying with some computer_ _vudu_.

"I need to ask him about the next steps with our expansion of AMC, and how he is involved."

"Very proactive. I'll forward you to Andrea Wilks."

"Thank you Barney. You will get a free sandwich from me for this."

"I may give you his cell phone number for that, if I knew I wouldn't get fired." I giggle, thinking his comment is a joke, but he is serious. I hope I don't get him in trouble. "Here she is." That was fast. I am now getting nervous, but sitting in my VW calms me down a bit, knowing I am in my element.

"Hello Ms. Steele." Andrea answers politely.

"Oh Andrea, I mean Mrs. Wilks. I am so glad to hear you. I need your help. And please, call me Ana."

"Only if you call me Andrea. How may I help you?"

"Will do Andrea. I need to quickly talk to Mr. Grey, but I don't have a meeting. I promise it will not take too long. I just need to clarify something with him really quickly with AMC. Could you see if he has time to talk to me?"

"Let me check." I am feeling good about this. Once I have this conversation with him, I will feel so much better about everything. "Ana, he is available in hour and a half. Are you available then?"

"Perfect. That works with me."

"Great! I will see you then." Wait, what?! At the office? No, I meant on the phone. I don't know if I can say everything I want to say in front of him. What should I do? _Tell her you have a stomach ache! No, wait, tell her you have a fever and are developing a cold! Tell her suddenly your car broke down and need to go to the mechanic! That's most likely going to happen anyways._

"See you there." (Click) That was the last thing I wanted to say.

 **~oOo~**

Well, I look like a mess.

I am in the GEH elevator going up to Mr. Grey's office. I am looking at my reflection in the elevator door, realizing I have no makeup, my hair is pulled back in a messy ponytail, and I'm wearing jeans and a Le Cordon Bleu blue hoodie sweatshirt. To complete the outfit, I have my old brown laptop bag used to hold my purse and business documents. I look like a college student. _At best, you look like someone's kid sister just leaving high school_. With traffic, I had no time to change clothes. I was thinking I was going to spend time with my dad, and do the rest of my work at home today. But now, I am at GEH, not looking or feeling my best.

The elevators open on the 15th floor to him, the Mr. Grey. _Don't speak, just look at the perfection._ He is in a perfectly fitted black suit, with a dark red tie. His hair is a mess, looking like he ran his hands through it all day, but it is such a sexy mess. _I want to just fix it._ I am staring at him, embarrassed at my own appearance. He looks a little surprised to see me as well, but hides it when he enters the elevator.

"Ms. Steele." He gives me a nod, then turn away from me looking straight at the elevator, selecting his office floor, but stops when he sees it lit up.

"Hello Mr. Grey." It is completely silent, but it feels like the temperature is rising in the elevator. I can't help but breathe a little faster, and wish I could take this sweatshirt off. I decide to continue speaking to Mr. Grey, even though he looks like he is not in the mood. "I really appreciate meeting with you today. I hope I am not taking too much of your time."

"You're not."

I'm starting to uncontrollably blush now. It is like the heater was turned up higher. I don't want to look more of a mess, so I decide to take off my sweatshirt. I place bag on the elevator floor. I turn slightly away from Mr. Grey for a sense of privacy. While taking off my sweatshirt over my head, my blue t-shirt rises, almost revealing my bra. _Yeah! Take it off!_ I quickly push my shirt down. _Doesn't matter, he got a peek_. I turn around to see Mr. Grey staring at me, intensely looking at my body. He slightly licks his lips. I don't know how to take his reaction. _He is turned on._

"Sorry about my attire. I didn't think I was meeting with you."

"It is not a problem." He turns away from me again. He takes his suit coat off. "You look fine." He rolls up his sleeves to his elbows, revealing his incredible forearms. "Is it hot in here?" He asks, looking at me confused.

"It is definitely hot in here," I respond back, airing out my shirt. _Although it doesn't seem like it with your hard nipples._ I look down at my round chest, and my nipples are definitely protruding through my bra and shirt. I quickly cross my arms over them I think I'm turned on now. It makes no sense. I never felt like this before. He then loosen his tie. If he takes off any more clothes, I'm going to pass out. _Fainting in his sexy presence would be and honor._ Luckily the elevator door opens. He allows me to walk out first, and he follows.

"Mrs. Wilks, I need someone to check the elevator. The heater was way too hot in there." He commands, while walking to his office.

"Yes Mr. Grey." Andrea picks up a phone, most likely calling maintenance. She also waves towards me. I wave back, while Mr. Grey opens his door, allowing me to enter.

His office is exquisite, with a view of downtown Seattle surrounding him. He has a conference table at one end, a couch and sofa chairs in the middle, and a large rectangular desk at the other end, with abstract artwork sporadically decorating the room. I don't want to get distracted looking at his office. So, I sit at one of the comfy guest chairs across from his desk.

"Did you have something planned earlier today? We could have rescheduled," Mr. Grey asks, as he places his coat and tie on his coat rack. He offers to take my sweatshirt, but I shake my head no. I am holding it like Linus' security blanket in the Peanuts comics. I don't want to let it go. _Really! Be like awesome Snoopy, not lame Linus. Great! Now I am talking in entertainment references like you._ I actually take the advice and sit up straight, placing my sweatshirt to the side. I don't want Mr. Grey to look at me and regret his decision.

"No, I was telling my father of the good news about the contract signing." He sits, looking confused. I just realize he knows my father is dead, so I probably sound like a liar. "I was visiting him at his grave. I talk to him every so often. Just about stuff that is happening in my life. It is kind of weird, but it helps clear my head." I got to stop babbling. This is not why I am hear.

"I can understand that," he says nodding his head. He actually looks a little compassionate, but his business appearance completely comes to life, as he leans on his desk closer to me, but looking at his computer, continuing to work on something else. "How may I help you Ms. Steele?"

"I am actually here about our relationship." Instantly his eyebrows arch up in surprise. "Our business relationship," I clarify. He continues back with his work. "Because GEH invested in my company as well as you, I want to know exactly what your role is going to be at AMC."

"What role do you want me to have?" He asks. He rests his chin in his hand, waiting for me to come up with an answer. I must of taken too long because he turns back to his computer again.

"I know you are a very busy man, and do not expect to drop everything for me. At the same time, I don't want to talk to 20 different employees and never hear from you."

"Have I not been accessible to you?"

"Honestly?" He nods yes. "No, not in the way I was hoping." He leans on his desk again, clasping his hands in front of him. He is finally looking at me. "Initially I was thinking Ros was going to be managing our agreement, but finding out it will be you, I'm not sure what to expect."

"So what do you want from me Ms. Steele? You got my money." He sounds bitter. I am not going to back down.

"I want to be able to ask you questions. I want to be able to tell you about the setbacks and amazing accomplishment we had that day, orrrr...whatever day. I want to tell you how much money I made us with an expansion. I want to recommend you a movie to watch. I want to at least be able to talk to you directly." I rush out. He is looking down at his desk, considering my words. "And if I am lucky, I would like a friendship." _And a boyfriend._ Shut up! He looks at me with a smug grin. I am hoping I didn't say something stupid out loud.

"I won't be able to hold your hand through all this." _Dam it!_

"I don't want you to. I am more than competent."

"But maybe we can figure something out." _I want to melt._ "I will make sure Andrea knows when you call, you can be forwarded to me as long as I am not in a meeting."

"That works with me."

"I think it will be important for you to work with our marketing director, Mrs. Walker, to set up a plan. We want people begging for an AMC in their area."

"I completely agree."

"I want my brother to look at this LA site you mentioned. If it is not up to standards, I don't want to waste our time on it."

"Already done. He has time next week to do this."

"I also want your website upgraded. It is good, but can be faster."

"I already have a meeting with Barney. He is going to recommend me your best website developer to work with."

"That would be Todd Cruz. I will have a meeting set up with him tomorrow morning."

"Perfect."

"I also want your business plan updated to where you want AMC in 5 years."

"Will do. I will have it by the end of the week." He leans back in his chair, covers his smirk by leaning his chin in his hand.

"Is this what you want Ms. Steele?"

"Absolutely…..I would also like to meet with you once a month, unless one of us is out of town."

"Done. Tuesday, the first week of every month, at 1:00 pm. I will have Andrea schedule it. We will talk on the phone if one of us is out of town otherwise."

"Perfect." Now I have a giant smile on my face. This is exactly what I want. "I want to make sure you get your investment back Mr. Grey," I say sincerely.

"You will and then some." I assume the meeting is over, but he seems like he has something else to say. "So, you want to recommend me movies?" I make movie recommendations to anyone and everyone. It is something my father did, and now I do it, but I never thought I would do this for Mr. Grey. It slipped out.

"Yes."

"You think I need recommendations?" He asks with his eyebrows arched up.

"Honestly?" He nods "I wasn't sure if you even knew what a movie was," I joke. Did I just make a rude comment? But he slowly starts laughing. I begin laughing with him.

"I probably don't."

 _Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship._ _Dam it! I did it again!_

 **~oOo~**

 **6 Months Later**

"Our social media numbers has increased like crazy within six months. The interests is there, we just have to make sure interests turns into ticket sales." Kate says into the phone's speaker on our conference call with Rachel Walker. We are currently sitting at the desk in our suite at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills. It is late in the work day, but Kate and I have no problems continuing to work in such a nice hotel. It is easily the nicest hotel in Los Angeles. I feel like a celebrity. _Ana, focus!_

"Absolutely, the interests is there. I think the grand opening will be a sell out. It was smart to place it around The Dark Knight Rises release. Just with the popularity of that movie, there will be going to AMC LA 2 anyways. Keeping them long term is key. I think the movie club will be the next adventure with AMC."

Rachel, the head of marketing, speaks enthusiastically. Kate and I look at each other instantly nodding our heads in excitement. Kate mouths, 'play it cool' so we don't sound too eager. We wanted to do a movie club from the very beginning of our expansion, but we didn't have the resources to manage it. People would be able to sign up to our club for $30 month and see as many movies they want that month at an AMC. I am smiling so hard, my face hurts.

"I am very excited to hear that, but would Christian, …I mean Mr. Grey approve of our idea?" I doubt he approves of offering discounted tickets to regulars already. Opening the first AMC LA went so well, we quickly opened another. We just had a soft opening, which went smoothly, and we are having our grand opening the same day The Dark Knight Rises releases into theaters. My conversation with Christian has informed me that he wants to grow AMC efficiently, only opening up a place where there is demand, which I agree with. I want people hoping an AMC comes near them.

"Mr. Grey already approved this idea. We both think it is best that we wait awhile till AMC LA 2 grows in popularity, but I think before Christmas we will have the club running." Kate and I immediately hug. "Actually Kate, if you can write up a blurb on what the AMC movie club would entail that would be great."

"No problem, I can write that up by Monday morning." Kate still writes a draft of all our advertisements for AMC. She knows exactly what to say. She then gives it to the marketing staff at GEH to edit it and advertise it at the appropriate locations. "I think that is all we had for our meeting Mrs. Walker. Thank you for working with me and Ana." Kate loves working with Rachel. We have gained such customer growth with her, it is amazing. "I hope you have a wonderful night."

"You are welcome. You all know this is secretly my favorite business deal. Good night ladies. Don't have too much fun in LA." She giggles into the phone and then hangs up.

That is when our celebration begins. We are jumping up and down doing a happy dance in the middle of the living room of our two bedroom suite. _Christian treats you well._

AMC LA has already been a success, with theater tickets selling out daily. I thought that was great for business, but Christian wanted us to open another AMC LA. 'Why have customers leave AMC LA to go to our competitor. They should be able to go to another AMC just as easily,' he would tell me.

So his team quickly researched another site in the LA area. There was an independent movie theater that wasn't making enough money to keep up with their expenses. I was willing to rent the building, but Christian wanted to buy them out, afraid they would raise the price. So he quickly did that. It happened so fast, all of a sudden we had another movie theater that I was working with Elliot to redesign. Things were happening so fast, I didn't know what was happening all the time. But, it was Christian who helped me through the deal step by step. AMC LA 2, as we like to call it, already has great buzz. At this point, Christian has his team looking into movie theaters in northern California and Portland. My main job has been to make sure every new theater is meeting and keeping up with our high standards.

But now, we get to have a movie club. I always wanted to start AMC movie club.

"Oh my god! I wish we had a Rachel and a ' _Mr. Grey_ ' from the very beginning. They are making things happen so quickly, I can only of dreamt it!" Kate says to me in an exasperated tone, only to then throw herself on to the hotels couch with a content smile. I love Kate! _Me too._

"I know, I can't believe this is all happening already and the year is not even up yet." I quickly sit at the desk to write down on our company's MacBook on what we need to do next and finishing our meeting notes. I take notes on every change and new thing that is happening to our company. Almost like a business diary. Christian seems to like it. _Right, Christian seems to like the business diary._ "He believes in this company." I didn't mean to say that out loud.

"Uh, yeah he does! I never heard of an investor so actively working with a company to get what they want. It is usually all about what makes money and nothing else. And he doesn't even own half the business. It is almost like he has a personal interest in AMC." Kate always wants to know what Christian's intentions are, but I just think he knows AMC could be a multi-million franchise.

"AMC is making money that is all that matters." I quickly change the topic, not wanting to discuss Christian with Kate any more. "We should celebrate tonight, dinner on me!"

"Oh, about that…." I already know the answer will be no, but I like messing with Kate when it comes to her love affair with Elliot Grey. "Elliot asked me to come check out AMC LA 2 so we can start getting pictures for the website. It is practically done. Then we might go out afterwards."

"You are fooling no one Kavanaugh! I know you are in looooove." I say in such an exaggerated voice and a wiggle of my hips, you think I was a teenager again. I feel like a teen again, for once, a happy teen.

"Ana, stop it. You know I don't believe in love. My parents taught me exactly what love and marriage is; a business deal among two parties." Kate's parents are definitely married, but not happily. It seems that they stay together because they both profit off each other. Kate thinks they cheat on each other, but as she says 'it is not really cheating if the other person doesn't care.' I would never want that. "Besides, we are just hanging out together."

"Naked!"

"Ana, really?! How old are we?"

I look at her sternly, only to jump into my song, "Elliot and Kate, sitting in a tree" I decide to add a jumping up and down dance, "K.I.S.S.I.N.G!"

(Knock, knock, knock)

"Shhhhhh, I think that is him." Kate whispers, and we immediately freeze. "He supposed to pick me up a few minutes from now."

"Shouldn't we open it?" I then walk to the door to let him in only for Kate to run to her side of the suite and close her door.

"I NEED 5 MINUTES!" She yells behind the door.

"Hey Elliot! It is nice to see you." I happily greet him with, which he then greets me with a friendly hug.

"Hello, Ana Banana, how are you?" Elliot teasingly say. He only calls me that because one day he saw me scarf down a banana in 25 seconds flat. We were running late to our flight back to Seattle and I was hungry. He was impressed, and thus a nickname was born.

"I am doing well. How are you?" I ask him, inviting him to come in and sit down on our luxurious couch. "Oh, by the way, Kate needs 5 minutes to get ready."

"I am doing very well. And how do you know I am here to see Kate?" He responds in a questioning matter, but we all know why he is here.

"I just know Mr. Elliot." I then sit across from him in the sofa chair. "So how is the final touches with AMC LA 2?" Elliot then goes on about the work they did to theater today to give it a more personal AMC feel. He likes to make them structured the same, but have slight changes in the artwork and finishing based on location. He usually does this by using local companies to complete the design. The theaters usually comes out perfect.

It is amazing how two brothers can look so alike, yet be adopted. Well, they don't look exactly alike. While Christian looks like Superman, Elliot looks like Thor the Norse mythological god! He is tall, blonde and handsome. He could have been arrogant asshole, and women would still flock to him. _I was thinking fuck him, but 'flock' works (eye roll)._ But he is the sweetest person I ever met. He is playful and funny. He likes to keep everyone in a lighthearted mood.

When I was most stressful when we received the wrong paint color for AMC LA, disturbing blood red instead of a red rose color we ordered for our lobby, I started to freak out that we were spending too much money after replacing the paint. I don't want Christian to think I was feverously spending his investment. Elliot's response was to grab a brush, put some paint on his white Calvin Klein t-shirt, and said completely seriously, "It would look great for your zombie movie marathon. We can all dress up using the paint and run around scaring people to go into the theater. It would increase ticket sales." I couldn't help but smile. "Don't worry Ana Banana, extra costs are in the budget." He is perfect for this job. _And perfect for Kate!_ Most definitely.

"Oh Elliot, I didn't realize you were here." Kate says in a rather surprised voice. _Oh brother!_ She is wearing her vibrant blue tight dress that shows the perfect amount of cleavage. Her hair went from a messy bun to waves that fall down her shoulders. She looks great, and by Elliot's look of awe, I am not the only one to think this.

"Well you two crazy kids better get going. And Kate, make sure Elliot has those pipes cleaned… at the theater of course." I wink at her with my smug smile.

"Good night, Ana. I will see you in the morning for our final review of the theater." She can only roll her eyes at my silly comment.

Elliot leads her out of the hotel room with his hand gently placed on her lower back. "Oh by the way, we will be doing more than K.I.S.S.I.N.G. tonight Ana Banana," Elliot stated in a very sing song voice.

"ELLIOT!" Kate says in an exasperated voice. They are so cute together.

"Laters, baby."

 **~oOo~**

Before I finish my notes and get ready for bed, I decided to call Christian. I wanted to thank him for supporting our idea for a movie club, and it is the day of our monthly meeting. Our meeting is usually earlier, but today, we both had to reschedule for this evening to accommodate our schedules. I don't mind though. I like having our monthly meetings. And luckily, we have not been taking off our clothes before them. _Uh, not luckily._ I only have to wait about a minute before Andrea picks up.

"Hey Ana, how are you?" Andrea and I have become close, since we make sure all the necessary documents are forwarded to the right people and put in the right places. We also talk for a little bit before she transfer me over to Christian's office. We usually talk about her husband, and her four kids. She has a big family, with children who are reaching teenage age. She is sad to see them grow up so fast, but glad to have more time with her husband of 21 years.

"I am doing really well. Hot in LA, but everything else is really good." I am feeling really good about everything. "I don't want to hold you up considering it is almost the end of the work day. I just wanted to talk to Christian really quick for our monthly meeting."

"I am leaving just now, but no problem. I will see if Mr. Grey is available." I have got to stop calling him by his first name if no one else is. Less than minute later, "I will transfer you to Mr. Grey now. Have a lovely evening Ana."

"You too Andrea." She ends the call. I then hear the dial tone once before Christian pick up.

"Hello Ms. Steele." _AH! I love his voice!_

"Hello Mr. Grey." I politely respond back.

"You can call me Christian. I like when you call me Christian." _What does that mean! AH!_

"Ok, Christian. I want to thank you for supporting our Movie Club idea."

"It was an easy decision. No other movie theater franchise does it, and you have loyal customers. Why not bring more customers on by rewarding loyalty."

"I just thought you might of find it silly considering it is like a coupon."

"What other companies do are coupons. What you are doing is a reward service. You are encouraging people to stay at your company and not go to others. I find that to be smart at the early stages of growth. And I would never think your ideas are silly." See! _Well I guess that shuts me up. I promise to never call you a silly little girl….unless I forget._

"Thank you Christian."

I doubt he talks to any of his business partners like this, but I won't argue against it. He has been so supportive. "So…I just wanted to thank you. Also! Did you watch the Godfather yet?" I have been giving Christian movie recommendations. I found out that in fact, I was right. He has not really seen any films. That is crazy to me! I wasn't even sure where to start. I decided to go with the classics first, and 1970s movies, just like how my father started with me.

"I watched it last night! Holly shit! At first I thought it was some family drama you try to get me to watch. But then, when I saw that one guy starting to get into the family business."

"Al Pacino?!"

"Yeah! I all of a sudden could relate to him."

"Please tell me your father is not like the Godfather?"

"I think he wanted to be." I couldn't help but laugh. "I also got a few good business tips out of it."

"Oh no!" I start to laugh, and I now here Christian chuckling with me. "I hope you didn't. No need to have a Grey mafia. You pretty much already have with your security team."

"What can I say, I made them an offer they can't refuse." I giggle at Christian silliness.

"Well, I am glad you liked the movie."

"I loved it Ms. Steele."

"And, I just wanted you to know we had a great day here, and I hope you had a great day as well."

"Tell me about your day Anastasia."

"Ok…, I will start from the beginning..."

Two and half hours later, our conversation was done.

 **~oOo~**

I am all ready for bed with my pink and purple striped pajamas. We have an early flight to return to Seattle the next morning. I decided to stay in for the night in my luxurious hotel room, watching the television, and finishing up my review of AMC LA 2.

With the help of GEH quickly opening our first and second Los Angeles theaters and several months in production, I came back to LA to review AMC LA 1 and 2. They are both running smoothly. We were working to open one Los Angeles site, when another site came up and it was an easy flip. So we jumped at the opportunity. Elliot Grey moved like a mad man to open both of those theaters, and he did it with incredible success and a short time period.

Now, I am reviewing their service, since they only been open for a few months. I want to make sure they are exceeding AMC standards. I only had a problem with AMC LA 2 first morning service. The food should have been better prepared in the morning for all the kid meals, knowing that families see movies earlier in the day. The service was slow, but they were able to finish on time. I only want them to be better organized in their meal service.

I finish up my business diary, ready to send to Christian. He seems to like it, something no one else does in his company. He tells me I am one of the best owners he has ever worked with. That made me very pleased. Christian and I talk to each other on the phone more and more, even though our initial agreement was once a month. Usually it is about business. In many ways he is mentoring me to become a better businesswoman, which I greatly appreciate. We also talk about our day and how it went. He has a much more stressful workload, and I am impressed with everything he manages. I manage one company, he manages several. Sometimes I feel like I am bothering him, which he assures me, I'm not. He wouldn't have given me his cell phone number otherwise. I think we are becoming friends.

Every so often we talk about personal things. I tell him about my dad. He will talk about his parents and siblings. We talk about things we love to do on our free time. Sometimes he seems reserved, but all of sudden he will tell me a story about when he was making a business deal with a potential client early in his career, and he accidentally called the client the wrong name. He had so many clients at once, his assistant got the calls mixed up. He covered himself by stating how he was referencing a person who was in the room; a person who never existed. He was going to fire his assistant that day, but she assured him it would never happen again. Andrea has never made that mistake.

I decide to call him now, thinking of something I want to tell him. _In normal circumstance I would tell you NOT to call your business partner at 11:27 pm at night, but I know he will pick up. He always does._

"Hello, Ms. Steele." Christian responds after the first ring.

"Are you ever going to call me Ana? You let me call you Christian."

"I like hearing you say my first name Anastasia." _Oh my god! He is talking to me!_

"Well, if you say my first name like that, then I won't mind going by Anastasia instead of Ms. Steel. I feel old when people call me Ms. Steele."

"What is wrong with being old?" Christian asks in a hurt tone. Christian is eight years older than me. I think the age gap is great. Men my age are still immature. I love he is in his 30s.

"Nothing is wrong with being old. I like that you are older than me." This is becoming a little weird. _No it's not! Keep going!_ "Anyways, I called because I was finishing up my business diary and thought of you."

"It's late. Mixing business with pleasure, I see."

"I like to think my business is my pleasure." _Real smooth Ana. Real smooth._

"If that is the case, you are not receiving the right kind of pleasure."

"And where could I get right kind of pleasure Mr. Grey?" We flirt like this every so often, but this is the closest I ever wanted to push further.

"I wish I could help you with that Ms. Steele." _You can help! Please help!_ Christian clears his throat. "So how is AMC LA 1 and 2 running?"

I give him a summary of what I saw at both sites. It is quite a boring conversation compared to what we were first talking about, but it needs to be done. I am snuggling more in my bed, getting comfortable, listening to some advice Christian has on how to whip staff into shape. There is a moment of silence that got me wondering if he is ready to end the conversation.

"Anastasia, I was wondering, if you are available to attend the Coping Together Fundraiser my mother is organizing? Usually…I have a business associate come with me, and I thought it would be good for you to meet other business owners at the fundraiser."

"What is the fundraiser for?"

"It is a charity that helps physically and emotionally abused women and children start a better life. The money raised at the fundraiser helps pay for housing, job location, any hospital bills they might of acquire. Things that would help people get away from the abuse they experienced. I donate money every year." _Oh my god!_

"I could have used something like that." I chuckle.

"What do you mean Anastasia?" I don't know what has come over me, but I want to tell him. I want to be free of this burden that I carry of my past. _Do it Ana! Why not? He obviously supports this charity._

"I was sexually abused when I was 15. I always wanted to find a way out, but I couldn't. I told myself it wasn't that bad. It wasn't until my dad took me away from the situation in the middle of the night once he found out. I realized it was bad, if my father was that scared." _Oh my poor little girl._

"I had the same experience when I was 15 too Ana." I can't believe he admitted that to me. I can't believe I admitted that to him. _He is a poor little boy too._

"I would say I'm sorry, but I hate when people tell me that. I feel like I'm a kicked little puppy or something."

"I never told anyone except my therapist, but I hate when he says 'I'm sorry' to me." He never told anyone else. _That means his parents. Oh no._ Christian continues, "I honestly didn't see it as abuse until recently."

"Me too." I can relate. I kept denying the abuse till recently.

"It felt like I was finally getting the help I needed."

"He would tell me I was a good girl."

"She told it was punishment for being a bad boy."

"He would tell me, 'I'm only loving my little girl.'"

"Who did this to you Anastasia?" All of sudden his voice sounds very stern.

"You first?"

"I can't. She's still very present in my life. But I am going to disconnect from her."

"Good. It is those things that holds you back, forces us to carry an unnecessary burden."

"Yea."

"I guess I am the lucky one. He's in prison. Won't be released for a long time."

"Good."

"Sometimes, I wish he was dead. It would be like it never happened."

"I know what you mean." This conversation is becoming too deep; deeper than we ever gotten.

"I would love to go with you Christian, to the fundraiser. Let me know when and where it is going to be."

"Good. I will email you the information. It is a black tie event, so you will have to dress up, but I can have my personal shopper get you something."

"No need. I'm sure I have something nice to wear." I have nothing., but Kate will help me.

"Good…Thank you Anastasia."

"You are taking me to a black tie event, which I'm sure will be amazing. I should thank you."

"Not for that Ana."

"Oh...Well...no problem. Anytime. I am glad we can talk."

"Me too, more then you know."

"So…" the air is thick even though we are not even in the same room. I have to change the subject. "What did you think of the movie Cabaret?"

"You mean the musical Cabaret." Christian corrects me in an amused tone. I can already the change in his tone.

"Yes, the musical."

"Did you think I would like musicals Anastasia?"

"Hey, you never know. My military father loved a good musical."

"Really? Ray Steele, a military man, loving musicals?"

"Yep." I proudly state. "His favorite was Singing in the Rain."

"I haven't seen it."

"Cabaret is a test run. So…what did you think?" It is easily one of my favorite films of all time. I hope he likes it.

"At first, once again, like many of your film recommendations, I thought you were fucking with me. A musical set in Germany, before World War II. I didn't get why this was good." _Oh boy._ "Then, we are supposed to care about a whore? I don't think so." _Oh no. No one hates on Ms. Sally Bowles._ "But, I fell in a love with her." _That was a close one._ Too close. "She had the biggest balls I have ever seen from a woman."

"I hope so." I laugh at his comment.

"You know what I mean. She didn't take shit from anyone, even her prick of a boyfriend."

"Brian? He's not a prick, just...naïve."

"More like an inexperienced, adolescent, dumbass, who had no clue how to handle a real woman. NO. FUCKING. WAY the sex was good!" Christian Grey has made me laugh harder. "She had to of been controlling everything. He probably didn't know where his dick was supposed to go."

"Christian!" I laughed even harder. "Remind me to never show you The Graduate."

"I will." Christian chuckles, calming down a bit. "I have to say, Sally was very brave."

"She was," I respond, no longer laughing.

"It was easy to fall in love with her."

"I hope you would."

We continued our conversation for another hour and a half before I started closing my eyes. I was getting really tired. As I was drifting off to sleep, I thought I heard Christian say, "Definitely easy to fall in love with."

 **A/N: That phone trick worked with someone I knew once. They gave an incorrect cell phone number, and the secretary corrected her and gave out someone's phone number without permission. Crazy!**

 **There will be time jumps in the story because I want to capture those good, bad and kinky moments in their lives, instead of day to day. I remember my own life in memories, not day to day nonsense. So that is how I am going to write their lives.**

 **Also, I don't have a writing schedule. I honestly have written a lot of this story or outlined it, but sometimes I think I miss stuff, or want to change how something was planned. For example, I am adding another chapter after this one before the Coping Together Event, to develop their relationship more.** **Plus, your reviews help me with some ideas. So, I am not uploading the whole story. I will take my time, but I will finish. I don't like when stories on fanfiction are not finished. I almost rather someone delete it, especially if it is like 4 years later since they updated it.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"I think I am going to pee in my non-existent pants."

"Please don't. We haven't even paid for the dress."

"I am freaking out here" I say as I am shaking my hands frantically. I looking at myself in the full length mirror wearing a fancy dress that floods at my feet. I will not be able to walk in this. "I don't know what I'm more worried about, the business dinner or the Coping Together Event?"

"If I were you," Kate taps her chin, thinking about her answer, "Both." she responds, jokingly.

We are at a boutique, trying on different formal dresses for the Coping Together Gala. Kate is in a strapless red gown that rivals Jessica Rabbit's dress. I am wearing a thick strap navy blue dress that supposed to fit me, but I have to stand on a stool to make it work. I need to find something to wear for an upcoming business dinner as well. I'm having dinner with the retired owners of a west coast diner franchise. Christian and I are meeting with them because they will be helpful in how we should expand AMC. I'm worried about the meeting, specifically the fact that these owners never expanded in the east coast. I don't know what their reason for limiting their expansion, but I want to expand AMC across North America. I don't see a reason to limit the company's expansion, unless it cheapens the brand or is too difficult to open an AMC at a certain location. Maybe Christian disagrees with me; he did setup the meeting.

"Not funny Kate."

"Well, in all honesty, the Coping Together Event. You are only freaked out about the business dinner because you REALLY have nothing to wear. Ever. We need a complete wardrobe overhaul."

"I know, I know. I'm going to buy a proper wardrobe." _And a laptop, a car, and that business degree. Don't forget._

"Don't worry about the business outfit. I already got something for that. Let's focus on the dresses." We continue to look at different dresses we picked out, while still wearing our failed ones. Kate was invited by Elliot to go. So we both are worried about this event especially since it is organized by Dr. Grace Trevelyan Grey, the adoptive mother of Elliot and Christian.

Dr. Grey is a prestigious pediatrician and founder of the Coping Together charity. She adopted Elliot and 'rescued' Christian, he describes. She was the attending physician, who treated four-year-old Christian after his biological mother died of overdose. She adopted him, even though people shockingly thought he was unadoptable. She is Wonder Woman. _We got to impress her._

"So Ana," Kate begins, as we look through a dress rack. "How are you?"

"Fine."

"How is life?"

"Good. You would know, you are around for most of it."

"Good." She replies, looking at dresses, but not really searching.

"Do you remember Jose Rodriguez?" Oh no. I know what this about.

"I think so. He went to college with you, right?"

"Yep, yep….Well, he is a photographer now, based in Portland, but moved here. He has an art showing next Saturday. Elliot and I are going to check it out. Maybe you can come."

"On a date?"

"I didn't mention dinner or anything." She looks away, adjusting the dress she is wearing. "He did mention eating somewhere afterwards." _Oh no!_ Kate is trying to set me up.

"You're setting me up?"

"No, not necessarily. Elliot and I will be there. A group outing." I ponder her offering. I have no personal life really right now. I work, but I love my work. So it doesn't seem too bad. "And, if you say you have to work, I know you're lying. I know your schedule, you don't have anything Friday night." She is right, but I am not going down easy.

"I will go on this 'outing'-"

"Great! Elliot and I will pick you up and we will-"

"IF, you admit you love Elliot."

"Ana-"

"I'm serious. You need to either accept your feelings, or stop leading him on." After several business meetings and dates, Elliot said 'I love you' to Kate a month ago. I'm not surprised. Their connection is amazing, But, Kate's response was 'No you don't'. He hasn't said it since.

"Ana, you don't get it. My parents taught me how shitty relationships are. I don't want to go through that." She starts taking off her dress, in frustration.

"You have a point, my mother taught me to love men for their money." She stops, and her frustrated look softens. Kate might of grew up wealthy, but are lives are similar. "I am not saying marry him. I am just saying, you should love him or let him be loved by someone else. Don't you think Elliot deserves that? Don't you deserve that?" I don't know what has come over me. Kate and Elliot are a great couple. I wish I could have half of what they have.

"I know. He does…I do."

"Don't let your parent's relationship ruin yours."

"I won't." Suddenly, something catches her eye. She rushes over, even though her dress is beginning to fall off. She is a determined woman. She comes back with an amazing dress at hand. "This is it. This is your dress."

"But what if-"

"We will get it fitted. This is your dress." I take the dress and look at it carefully, seeing how truly beautiful it is.

"It's perfect," I tell Kate. "How do you know what's right for me?"

"It helps when someone sheds light on it," looking at me wit appreciation. We hug, knowing we are there for each other.

~oOo~

"What are you wearing?" I ask. This is supposed to be a casual business dinner. The owners are diner people. They probably never dressed up in their life. But here is Christian, wearing a three piece black suit with a dark blue tie.

"What do you mean?" He ask confused.

"I mean, you're overdressed. Look at where we are?" We decided to eat at Mr. Scott and Sarah Garner's diner in Seattle. They retired a few years back, but they have great people managing all their diners, which are still running today.

"I didn't know we were going somewhere so…informal," he says, as a group of teenagers go into the diner. "I can have my security get a change of clothes." He reaches for his phone, but I stop him.

"No need. You just have to look a little more casual, like me." Kate helped me pick out a long sleeve black blouse and blue jeans. I have my hair down in waves, and simple makeup with a pop of red lipstick. I am wearing black ankle boots to complete the outfit. It is professional, casual with a bit of sexy, as Kate said.

"I don't think I could look like you Anastasia." He says, looking me up and down slowly. I don't feel uncomfortable by his gaze. _You can look at us like that anytime you want._

"Take off your coat, vest, and tie."

"Are you asking me to undress Anastasia?" _Uh yes!_

"Only partially…Trust me, you will look more casual." He does what I said and walks off to the car, giving his clothes to his security guard. I think his name is Taylor, but I haven't officially met him yet. He comes back but still looks stiff. "Can you unbutton your top two buttons as well?" He looks shocked, but does it anyways.

"Better?" He asks, arms out, putting himself on display.

"Much better." _Five more buttons and a untuck._ "Let's go." We walk into the diner to the hostess table. We already have a table reserved, even though the diner doesn't takes reservations.

The diner is a classic setup, with bright colors all around, a long serving table with stools, and booths along the opposite wall. Even the waitresses are in retro blue pants outfits, with matching white hats and aprons. The jukebox in the back is playing motown music. Young teenagers are at several tables hanging out, eating their burgers, fries and drinking milkshakes. It looks like a restaurant from Greece.

We head to the booth in the corner. I sit at one side of the booth, and Christian sits at the other end. "What are you doing?"

"I'm sitting down," scooting further in.

"We have to sit next to each other." I move to sit next to him. "What are we going to do, ask a married couple of 30 years to sit a part?"

"No, I guess not." I realize we maybe we're too close. I casually move a little further over, so I am at least not touching him, but Christian is a grown man and I'm about fall out of the booth. He put his arm around me, well technically behind. _Around!_ I look at my menu, trying to distract myself. "We should go over talking points of the meeting."

"Okay." I place my menu down, and turn towards him, desperately trying to not touch him, but our knees are, and I'm starting to feel warm. _Down there. Oh yeah!_ I try to focus. "I want to talk to them about how they expanded their company, and why they didn't expand in the east coast."

"I think they didn't expand because managing a business in the east coast is expensive, while living in the west."

"I honestly think it was done for a silly reason."

"Explain."

"I think they didn't want to expand because they don't like to travel, they hate snow, they don't like the Yankees, something silly."

"Why would someone not want to make their company hugely successful because of something as frivolous as sports teams?"

"You know what the Yankees are?"

"Anastasia," he warns.

"Just kidding." I smile. "To answer your question, people get personal when it comes to business."

"I think keeping a company, like AMC, in the west coast allows for quality control, exclusivity, not have to worry about competition. A company stays cool when it is not everywhere." I am surprised he used the word cool. I didn't think that was in his vocabulary, but he makes an excellent point.

"You're right. That makes a lot of sense." I turn away looking back at the menu. He has a smug look on his face as he turns to his menu, thankfully no longer having his arm behind or around me. _Definately around._ Quiet. I need to focus. _Fiiinnnneee._ "I just don't think that's the reason."

"We'll see."

"Want to make a bet?" He looks at me curiously.

"What kind of bet?" He asks.

"Well, betting money would be ridiculous, so let. me. think." I lean back and ponder the possibilities. It has to be something good. "If I win, and their answer is ridiculous, I want you to take me out on the helicopter for a ride." The moment I found out he can fly a helicopter, I knew I wanted to go on it. I never been and I think it would be awesome.

"I would of done that anyways, but I'll accept that bet." He places his arm around me again. I only become a little sweaty this time. "What do I get if I win?"

"What do you want?"

"Hmmm." He looks up toward the ceiling, thinking hard. I might not want to have given him this opportunity. He finally looks at me, "I want you to make me lunch every day for two weeks." _Oh he is good._ "In those jeans you are wearing right now, black tank top, hair braided, minimal make up." _Oh, he is really good._

"Deal." We shake on it. Just as we are shaking hands, Mr. and Mrs. Garner comes in.

"You must be Ana and Christian Grey?" Mrs. Garner ask. We both nod our heads, getting out of the booth to greet them. "We are Scott and Sarah Garner." In front of us is an older couple, who seem to be in their 60s or 70s, very comfortably dressed. She is wearing brown slacks and a floral long sleeve blouse. He looks like he came from golfing. We shake their hands, welcoming them.

"It is nice to meet you." I say in response

"Nice to meet you." We sit down to begin our dinner. We look at our menus, but Scott Garner takes them away.

"Don't worry about them. We will be having the classic cheese burgers, crisp cut fries, and Neapolitan milkshakes." Scott says. My mouth waters with the sound of that.

"Sounds delicious to me." I respond. I look at Christian, and he looks uncertain. He probably hasn't eaten a meal like that since he was a teenager.

"I haven't had a good burger in a long time." Christian responds.

"Well Sarah has created the perfect burger. You will not be disappointed Mr. Grey."

"I can't wait." He smiles in response. He looks at me with a questioning look. He turns back to Scott, making a decision. "You can call me Christian by the way." Seems like Christian is loosening up.

"You can call me Ana too."

"Well you can call us Scott and Sarah then." Sarah request. They seem to be a cute couple, very in sync with each other. A waitress come in setting our food down with our milkshakes. It all looks so delicious. "Let's eat."

~oOo~

(Burb) "Excuse me."

"Nice one Christian." Scott compliments Christian on his manly burp.

We have been talking for a hour now about the food business. Scott and Sarah have been very helpful. I even take notes in my little notebook I had in my purse. We haven't asked them about why they didn't expand in the east coast, but I think Christian is going to soon. It is hard to bring up something that could be considered a bad business decision, but Christian thinks they had the correct intentions.

"When Ana and I we were looking into your company, we wondered why you never expanded to the east coast? You seem to have the opportunity, but never went for it." He asks.

"Good question. We did have many opportunities to expand in cities like New York or Washington DC." Sarah responds. "But looking at it further, it was something we didn't want to bother doing. People from the east coast are so uptight, unfriendly, and stressed. Why even work with such a group of unruly people." I look at Christian, giving a 'I told you so' look. He looks back at me perturbed, but I can tell he is amused really.

"Bunch of republicans in the east coast. I don't like republicans." Scott adds. Who knew they could be so…. _ignorant._ Ill-informed.

"Is that the only reason?" Christian asks, a little shocked. They look confused.

"What other reason would there be?" Sarah asks. I snort at that comment, trying to hold in my laughter. I take a sip of water to calm down.

"Thank you."

"No problem dear. We like helping a young couple like you two starting their own business." Now it is our turn to look confused. They must think we are together. _I dare you to go along with it._ What, I couldn't. _Double dog dare you. Hard to turn that down._ Enough! _Triple dog dare you!_

"Thank you Sarah, but Christian and I are not together. Christian runs a billion dollar company. He invested in my company." _Chicken._

"Oh dear, I'm sorry. We thought you both were together." She giggles. We all chuckle at the misunderstanding, except for Scott.

"That is how Sara and I met." Scott remarks. "I had my own business at the time, and Sarah asked me to help her start a diner. I wasn't sure about it at first because she never ran a business in her life, but she was an amazing chef and was determined. I saw something in her that I liked, probably loved." At this point Christian and Scott are staring at each other, like they are having a private conversation. "It was the best business decision of my life." Scott smiles.

 _So does Christian._

~oOo~

"Ana, can you please come over here? Now." I arrived at the art gallery, with Christian Grey. I might of accidentally invited him after our meeting at the diner.

Christian does look nice tonight with blue jeans and long sleeve black shirt. I'm wearing an outfit I recently bought; a black tank top and a long black skirt with a dark red floral pattern. Shockingly Kate didn't help me purchase this outfit, but I don't think that is why she wants to talk to me. I don't think Kate is pleased with your invite.

"I assume you can hang out with this guy for a few minutes," I jokingly tell Christian, pointing to Elliot.

"This loser, I think so." He says smiling, looking at his brother.

"You really should stop talking negatively about yourself bro." Elliot jokes.

"Just, don't do anything embarrassing." Kate request. She drags me by my arm to the ladies bathroom. _Definitely not here to talk about my new outfit._

"What are you doing?" _She is angry._

"What do you mean? Do you not like my outfit?" I respond innocently.

"Ana! Don't!" _She is really angry, at us._ I should stop screwing around. "Why is Mr. Grey here?"

"He is really into art. I thought he would like to come."

"But-"

"Plus, this is not a date. Soooo."

"Ana!"

"And, we're friends. I thought it would be fun."

"But he's our boss!"

"No, I'm your boss, and don't forget that." I tell her, pointing my finger at her, but not seriously.

"Ana, seriously, I just...," she fails to finish her sentence. _What is she getting at? She's really worried._

"What?" I put my hand on her shoulder so she will look at me. "What's wrong?" She looks at me unsure of what to say. I rarely seen Kate speechless. _Now she's freaking me out!_

"I don't want you to get hurt," she finally blurts out. _Oh! She thinks you like Christian, which is true by the way._

"We're only friends Kate."

"Uh huh." It's obvious she doesn't believe me, but I don't care. Christian and I are friends. It will never go any further than that. _Don't break my heart._

"Are we done?" feeling uncomfortable, wanting to end this conversation.

"We are," She turns away to open the bathroom door, but stops to say, "For now." We finally walk out. "By the way, you look hot!"

"Thanks." I say shyly. I don't get complimented for being 'hot'. "You look good as always." She is wearing skinny jeans, with knee high boots and a loose fitting dark blue tank top blouse. She also has on several bracelets, looking like a rock star.

We return to the guys, who look like they are having a good time joking around. It is rare to see Christian so…comfortable. _Comfortably hot._ When he sees me, he smiles and I can't help but smile too. Kate takes Elliot's arm, glaring at Christian, as they walk away. I guess they are going to leave us alone.

"You want to walk around?" I ask Christian.

"Sure." We walk around the gallery to look at Jose's photos. He has many landscape photos of the Seattle skyline. They are really incredible, especially the night shots.

"Do you see any you like?" I ask Christian.

"No. I like paintings more than photographs."

"Really? Like what?" He explains the different paintings he owns and the artist he likes. Many of them are local. He is really into art, and taught me a few things. _He is hot and smart. Swoon! I am going to pass out now._ "It sounds like I should tour your house?" I joke.

"I wouldn't mind that."

"Ana!" Kate calls for my attention, and I turn to her, where she stands next to Elliot and Jose. "Ana, I don't think you have met Jose yet. Ana, this is Jose. Jose, this is Ana." I shake his hand, feeling a bit awkward. Christian looks annoyed, and Kate looks at him amused. Elliot is trying not to laugh. I hope she is not trying to challenge Christian.

"Ana, it is nice to finally meet you." He responds, looking at me up and down in appreciation. Christian turns away, pretending to look at a photo when really he's angry.

"Nice meeting you. I also wants you to meet Christian Grey. He is my business investor, and…friend."

"Christian." Jose acknowledges, nodding towards him. Christian nods back. "So, Ana, what do you think of my work?"

"It's incredible. I like the nighttime landscapes of Downtown Seattle the most."

"Maybe I can take you out sometime to show you some locations."

"She will get a better view when I take her out on my helicopter." Christian responds.

"What!?" Kate asks shocked.

"I lost a bet, so I owe Ana a helicopter ride." He explains, winking at me. I knew he was going to take me out, but I didn't know it would be at night. I'm really excited.

"You got beat by a girl?" Elliot asks, trying not to laugh.

"Hey! I won fair and square. Christian might be great in business, but I can read people…kind of." I say, trying to defend my win.

"You got beat by a girl!" Elliot says laughing. Kate pinches his chest, most likely his nipple considering his painful reaction.

"You never beat me at anything." Christian defends.

"Don't lie bro. I got you in a game of monopoly that one time." I laugh at Elliot's one win. I can't imagine them playing a board game, but monopoly seems appropriate.

"You lost in monopoly? That seems like something you would be great at." I say to Christian.

"I only lost because he got me drunk." He says, pointing to his brother. "And I'm pretty sure he stole from me."

"I only got you drunk because you wouldn't play monopoly." Elliot answers back.

"What are you like drunk?" I ask Christian.

"Oh Ana banana. He's amazing." Elliot explains. He puts his empty glass of beer on a side table, obviously needing his hands free. Christian shakes his head. "He gets a bit crazy. He dances around, shaking his hips." He describes, swaying his hips seductively, showing us his dance.

"No I don't." Christian barks.

"Yeah you do bro. He also gets really sappy." Christian shakes his head at his crazy brother, rubbing his face. "'I love you Lelliot. I really love you bro.'" Elliot speaks in an exaggerated tone, grabbing Christian's shoulder, imitating drunk Christian. "Best time to ask for money." Kate and I are laughing at Elliot's explanation.

"You two are brothers?" Jose abruptly ask. We stop laughing, unsure what to say.

"Look at us?" Elliot wraps his arm around Christian. "Of course. Don't you see the resemblance?"Elliot gives a big cheesy smile. Christian looks at Jose, daring him to say something.

"You two look nothing alike." Jose declares.

"Jose, they are adopted." Kate explains, trying to calm the situation.

"Huh. That's good you consider each other 'brothers' even though you're not related."

"Well that's what we are." Christian fiercely responds.

"They're really cute brothers." I add. _More like sexy, gorgeous, hot brothers._ I thought you passed out. _I did, but I woke up to an annoying voice. Who is this Jose anyways?_

"We're cute brothers?" Elliot asks Christian.

"I guess so." Christian responds, but looks at me the whole time.

"Did you think they were brothers when you first met them?" Jose asks me. I don't want him to bring me into this, but I respond honestly.

"Well, I actually thought they were...superheroes." Elliot, Kate, and Christian laugh at my comment.

"Superman and Thor, right?" Kate asks.

"Yep." I agree with Kate. "But, when I got to know them, I did see them as brothers."

"Thank you Ana Banana," Elliot says.

"But you didn't think of them as brothers originally?" Jose keeps persisting.

"Why does it matter?" I asks.

"I don't want to look like the asshole thinking they weren't related." Jose explains.

"Too late." Kate mumbles.

"Forget it." Jose says, sounding annoyed now. "Ana, I got this photo I think you would like. You want to check it out?"He asks, trying to get me alone. _Hello no._

"No thanks. But thank you for the offer." I politely say.

"Actually we are going out for drinks." Elliot says, now looking at his watch. "And, I think it would be a good time to go. You ready Kate?"

"Yep, let's go." Kate seem to be over the art gallery. I'm surprised, considering this was her idea.

"You coming bro?" Elliot asks.

"Would you like to come Ana?" Christian asks me. I can't really remember the last time I went out for drinks. _I'm pretty sure never._ There might be one time with Kate. _Yes, there were many times you rejected her._ I guess I'm not very outgoing. But tonight, I will be.

"I would love to." I say to Christian.

"I can't go. I have to hang out around here for another hour." Jose replies. _I don't think he was invited._

"That's too bad." Kate says, with fake sincerity. "Let's go. Thanks for the invite Jose. I hope it goes well." We are all walking out of the gallery, and the moment we are outside, "What an asshole."

"Kate!" I chastise Kate.

"No Ana, he is definitely an asshole." Elliot agrees, heading to his sports car.

"Yes, but we should at least say it a few feet away from the gallery." I tell them, giggling.

"Well, I couldn't help it. He was so fucking rude." Kate gets in the car with Elliot. She then rolls down the window. "Where to?" Kate asks.

"The Mile High Club." Christian responds.

"I heard that place is nice." Kate says.

"Get in bro!" Elliot yells to Christian.

"Hell no. We'll meet you there." Christian yells back. Elliot and Kate drive away, as Christian and I walk to his car, driven by his security guard.

"I'm sorry about that." I tell Christian.

"Don't apologize for someone else's behavior." We get in the backseat, ready to leave, when suddenly Christian leans over and says, "But I like that you think I'm Superman." I smile, happy he got my reference. _Definitely sexy superman._

This was going to be a fun night.

~oOo~

This evening is the review of our second AMC in Seattle that opened up a couple of months ago. We are expanding so fast, but I love seeing the growth. AMC Seattle 2, which is located in West Seattle, has been running well, but there's concerns at how long the service takes at night. I heard meals are served during trailers, which is fine, but cutting it too close to movie time. That is one thing I am going to look into.

For the review, I'm wearing black jeans with flats and a red button up shirt with white polka dots. I have my work bag, and iPad for my review of AMC Seattle 2, are second AMC in Seattle. I don't like to wear something too professional, if I have to get in and help with anything during my review.

Christian is joining me for a review for the first time. He wanted to see how our brand new second Seattle AMC was running. Christian never been on a review before. I either go or contractors have reviewed our new AMC franchises. I wonder what got him so interested. _Or who, really._ But luckily my inner voice helped, despite wanting to quiet her. _Of course!_ _He wants to go on a review. See what it is like. See you do your job...and don't try to quiet me ever!_ It all made sense. _No shit Sherlock. Remember, I'm your fucking Watson. I help you figure this shit out._ I decided to get rid of my worries and plan a fun night for us.

I finally see him. "Looking good Mr. Grey." Christian is in a semi-casual outfit of dark jeans, a dark green polo, and thin black jacket.

"I want to prove to you that I can be casual Ms. Steele." He explains.

"I'm more glad to know you can dress yourself."

"You have quite the sense of humor Ms. Steele."

"I can't help it." I rearrange my bag, and hand him over a notebook. "This is for you, if you have any questions or concerns. I don't like to say something to people right away, unless it is absolutely important."

"Got it."

"You can obviously ask whatever you want." I quickly say, remembering he is the big boss, but I kind of regret it. I don't want the employees get nervous with Christian being around. Nervousness results in needless mistakes. "It probably will be best to let me take the lead. I done this several times and know what to do to get the best results."

"Whatever you say." I head into the theater, until I hear, "Boss." I turn around looking at him, but he seems to find the situation amusing.

"You got that right." I turn back into the AMC ready for the review.

We walk into the lobby, pass the lines, to the ticketing booth to ask for the manager. She knows I'm coming to review the site, but she doesn't know when.

As we wait, I look around the lobby. The area looks clean and comfortable. We have the latest blockbuster movie posters up decorating the walls, as well as classic movie posters, like Jaws, a staple in all AMCs. While there are a lot of people this evening, it doesn't seem like they are frustrated or annoyed. People are relaxing in the lounge seats, enjoying a drink. This AMC actually has a bar outside the theaters, which has been working out well. It is a great place to hang out when people want to see a double feature.

When the manager walks out to the booth, it is obvious she is shocked, but not by the review, but by seeing Christian Grey. _The hot billionaire. Take it all in lady. It's glorious._ "Hello, (gulp) Mr. Grey….My name is Alice... Alice Quintana." She introduce herself by offering her hand. I can't help but roll my eyes, considering she hasn't noticed me. He shakes her hand and nods, but remains silent. She can't help but check him out. _Ok, he's hot, but she can be professional._ Although, _I can't talk, I'm barely listening to you right now._

"Hello Ms. Quintana," breaking her eye fucking of Christian. "My name is Ana Steele, the owner of AMC." Trying not to be snarky, but I can't help it. "We are here for your review."

"Oh! Of course. I'm sorry Ms. Steele. Let's go to my office." Now that I have her attention, she seems nervous. I kind of feel bad, but I'm not going to change now. I'm the boss.

We walk into her office, and sit down. That is when I lay out the review. I tell her everything we are going to do tonight, which is check the finances, look over the filing system, checking a meal service, and review a movie showing. While nervous, Alice seems ready to go. Christian does not interrupt and observes the whole time. We begin our review.

With the organization of the theater, she's great. She was able to retrieve documents quickly. Christian even seems impressed. For such a popular and big theater, she has everything organized to my satisfaction. She gets a good grade for this part of the review.

Alice was originally an office manager at a large law firm, but quit her job because she had very little time to spend with her family. Thus, she wanted a change of career. When she interviewed, I was unsure of her, only because she had no food experience, but she proved herself. Managing an AMC, the schedule can be flexible, only working 40 hours a week. The job seems perfect for her.

We move on to a meal service. "I'm going to be honest with you, I'm not hearing the best comments about the meal service times here." I tell her.

"I understand Ms. Steel, and I apologize for the service. The chef and I take full responsibility."

"What was the problem?" Christian asks. I informed him of the details earlier, so I am unsure why he asked.

"Our meal service times have been slower than they should be, sometimes serving people during the movie." I didn't know the mealtimes were taking that long.

"Why is that?" Christian asks as we reach the kitchen door.

"Our chef, Chef Carlos, just came out of cooking school, which I know you push for Ms. Steele." I nod my head in agreement. I would like to hire experienced chefs, but a lot of times they have their own restaurants or get paid more somewhere else. So I push for hiring upcoming, young chefs. People who have the energy and excitement to cook, but also don't have bad habits yet. "He makes great food. We get great compliments about it."

"What is his problem?" Christian asks, cutting her explanation.

"He would spend too much time on the food. He focused on presentation, adding garnishes and fruits and vegetables cut into pretty designs. It looked amazing, but is a waste of time. People wanted their food, not fine dining."

I have yet to have this problem with a chef, but I could understand his want to make everything beautiful looking. It is trained into chefs to present your food in an appetizing way. People's eyes are one of the senses that judge the food before they taste it. But considering the food is served in dim lighting, they are already getting better food and drinks then plain popcorn and soda, and people are most likely eating in the dark when the movie starts, having great presentation is not necessary.

"What did you do about him?" Christian's questions. He seems to be evaluating Alice management skills, then wanting to know what actually happened. I have to remember to do that.

"I had a meeting with him about the problem before the theater opened one day. I told him of the problem and had him correct it immediately. I also remind him 5 minutes before meals needed to go out during our night time services. He felt rushed when I did this, but it got him to go faster. He probably found my reminders annoying, so he decided to get a timer." I love that she took charge.

"I like you were persistent, Ms. Quintana." I say to her.

"Thank you Ms. Steele."

We go into the kitchen and it is bustling. Chef Carlos is calling out orders, while frying burgers on the grill. His sous chefs are preparing the side dishes. I nod my head towards Chef Carlos, and he nods back, acknowledging me. Christian looks at me confused at our interaction. It is pretty much known among the AMC chefs, unless you are being directly asked a question or it is dangerous to continue cooking, you do not stop cooking. Making the best meals for our customers is the most important activity right now, not having a conversation with me.

Alice goes over the meal service and explains what they are working on right now. They are making several dishes for a 6:30 pm movie, so all the meals will go out at the same time. She is explaining to me everything that is happening, like I never been to an AMC before, which is what I want. I want to see she knows every aspect of the company.

They are organise and a lot quicker then I thought, considering the complaints. The waiter and waitresses would place the list of orders on the service rack. Chef Carlos looked it over and call out multiple orders. The sous chefs at their different stations would do the side orders, while Chef Carlos cooks the main course. When the plates are starting to come together, Chef Carlos would do the final touches, cleaning the plates and checking quality. Then, he would call out for the wait staff and they would line up to get their meals to be served to theater guest.

I suddenly order a Caprese Panini, no tomato, extra cheese with a side Caesar salad. They take my order, and I time them. After five minutes, I received my order. I tried the meal, and it was perfect. I offer Christian a bite, and he takes it, taking a big piece of the sandwich while I am still holding it. He moans in appreciation. I finish my review of the meal service, examining the cleanliness of the kitchen, walk-in refrigerator and freezer.

Alice gives us the tour of the building, and responds to all our questions. She is handling the review really well. We head to her office to do an exit interview. I think she did good job. I only offered a few suggestion on managing staff. I noticed that the projectionist has worked overtime a few days during the summer. That shouldn't be happening too much, so I helped her figure out a better schedule. The review is almost done, and I give her a good grade overall.

Time for the movie.

"You ready?" I ask Christian. We are going to see Boyhood first, and I am excited. They filmed the movie over several years, so you actually get to see the boy grow up on screen. Afterwards, we are watching Whiplash, which is getting tons of amazing reviews. The lead character is into jazz drumming, which could interest Christian, since he likes playing the piano. We will have to see.

"Let's go." We walk to our reserved seats, right in the middle of the theater, the best seats in the place.

"So what do you think?" I ask Christian. We placed our dinner order. I am not too hungry after the sandwich and salad, so I order dessert. Pecan pie squares with a scoop of pumpkin ice cream, my favorite. _Daddy's favorite too_. Christian orders spicy chicken wings, side vinaigrette salad, corn on the cob and chips and guacamole. I didn't realize how hungry he was.

"I thought the review went well. I agree with your recommendations. Ms. Quintana is a good manager. I may hire her."

"Don't you dare take my good employees." I say chuckling, but somewhat serious. No way I would want to replace her.

We get our food, and begin eating as the movie trivia and news is playing in the background. Christian is chowing down, moaning and complimenting the food. I had many business dinners with Christian, but never seen him scarf something down so quickly. _I would like to see him scarf something else down._ That's just gross. _It takes one to know one._ What? _I don't know, I can't think straight around him._

"That was fantastic." Christian is finishing the chips and guacamole, obviously enjoying his meal. He has been licking his fingers the whole time. _I would like him to lick my-_ Yeah, yeah, I get it.

"I'm glad you enjoy it. I figured out that guacamole recipe in college. It is not your typical recipe."

"What makes it different?"

"Can't tell ya, I would have to kill ya." It is the jalapeno juice that makes it awesome, but Christian is going to have to earn that secret.

"You would have to catch me first." He says, winking at me.

"All I would have to do is keep feeding you, considering the way you eat."

"If you fed me like this," he says pointing to his empty plate, "I would die happily." The screen goes black, and the lights are starting to dim, warning us the movie is about to start.

"Just watch the movie mister." And so he does, getting comfortable. This is the best review I have ever been on. _I would like him to review my…um…uh...I don't know._ _Just watch the movie._

~oOo~

"Are you ok?" We are walking out of the theater, back to Christian's car. Sawyer, another member of Christian's security team, opens the door for me, and Christian walks around to get in on his side. He seems somber.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He looks lost though. "I don't know." Sawyer starts to drive off to my home. Christian is looking out the window, deep in thought.

"I didn't realize those movies would be so intense. I mean Whiplash was kind of funny, but I didn't know his jazz instructor was so…abusive." He turns towards me.

"He was a fucking cocksucker!" He's angry, but it's not geared towards me.

"Yeah, a real….asshole." He returns looking out the window. "But it was cool how Andrew turned it around and stuck it to me. His final number was magical."

"Seemed liked the instructor's abuse worked," he says somberly.

"I don't think so." He turns to me shocked that I disagree with him. I continue, "When his instructor was at his worst and most abusive, Andrew had a meltdown. He couldn't play anymore. When the instructor screwed him over again, he was ready to quit. But I think it was Andrew who decided he was not going to let his instructor tear him down. That is why he played the shit out of those drums in the end. He let go, and was himself. It was awesome." Christian nods, in understanding. "I think Andrew always had that in him, he just needed to let it out, not having some…asshole tell him what was best for him."

"Yeah."

"And then Boyhood-"

"Fuck, Boyhood… It was incredible." He sighs.

"Yeah, it was cool to see that boy grow up, even though he had a hard life."

"Yeah, he came out of it a normal kid. That was good to see." He looks out the window again.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have picked such intense movies. This is my fault."

"No, don't apologize, you didn't know. I didn't know..."

"That movies can be so emotional?"

"Yeah."

"It's tough. Sometimes movies can be triggers. I watched this one movie, Precious. It was a big trigger for me. She was sexually abused when she was a kid, and it was really hard to watch. Sometimes it felt like I couldn't breathe."

"Explain?" He asks, giving me his full attention. Should I tell him? _Yes! You're friends after all._ I only told my dad, _kind of_ , Carla, my mother, _kind of,_ and Kate. Every time, it was difficult to say for different reasons, but as I look at Christian, my friend, I feel this connection with him. I can't help but want to tell him my story.

"I was raped by one of my mother's boyfriends when I was 15." I blurt out.

"Ana, I-"

"But I never knew it." _Oh sweet little girl._ It is the worst part about this whole thing. He unbuckles his seatbelt and scoots next to me. He wraps his arm around me and I lean against his side.

"I don't understand."

"My mother was desperate for money. She dated some real losers to help pay the bills. One of them was Stephen Morton. He worked at a company fixing computers. He would talk about how amazing of an IT guy he was, and how his boss didn't appreciate him. Every time he would come home, he would kiss my head and say how glad he was to be with his princess. He seemed so happy to be home when I was around. He would give me the attention I desperately wanted."

"Ana, you don't have to tell me, if you don't want to." He lifts my head by my chin, showing how sincere he is. His beautiful eyes push me to continue.

"I want to." I lean my head back into his chest. "Stephen would take care of me, make sure I was fed. All he ever asked of me was to keep him company. At first it was to watch television. As my mother would work nights at her bartending job, he became more...brazen. He would ask me to sit in his lap, ask for more hugs. I was 15 at the time, and felt uncomfortable. I eventually told him I don't want to hang out with him anymore. He was understanding, telling me I should hang out with my friends."

"Let me guess, he didn't stop."

"I thought he would, but one night he made me dinner, and I felt tired afterwards. I woke up the next morning, naked, in so much pain in my lower region. I thought it was because I was becoming a woman, since it was that time, but that was not the case."

"He drugged and raped you."

"Yes."

"How many times?"

"Only a couple of times."

"Only?...So he betrayed your trust multiple times."

"Yes."

"I'm going to kill him!" And he means it.

"He's in jail; I don't want you to join him." He let's out a long sigh, but nods his head.

"How did he get in jail?"

"I told my mother what I thought was happening, but she thought I was making up stories for attention. She came home early one night and saw him on top of me, while I was sleeping. Apparently she stopped him. She told me we advise a plan to get him back. She threatened she would turn him in for rape. It took him awhile to accept the threat, but once he did, he paid her off to not say anything. They broke up, and then she turned him in for molestation." She promised Stephen not to turn him in for rape, but never for molestation. A very devious plan created by my mother. "It was my word against his, with very little evidence but my mother helped to get him convicted. She can be very convincing. In the meantime, I was afraid to eat and sleep becoming really sick." I was anorexic and anxious. I'm surprised I didn't die. "Sometimes I think my mother never really believed me, she just found an opportunity to get money, since I was so 'convincing'."

"That is one hell of a fucking mother."

"I know. He was found guilty for molesting a child, but I never felt right that he wasn't convicted for rape." He is going to get out soon. I will be nowhere near him, but I'm afraid he will do something to another child. Hopefully he is fat and ugly. "My dad figured out what happened and took me away from my mother immediately. I never told him the full story, afraid of what he would of done."

"I'm sorry Ana."

"As you know, there are bad people in this world Christian."

"I know." He releases a breath he seemed to be holding. A breath I was probably holding as well.

"When I was living with my dad, all we did was watch movies. We watch stuff that made me escape the world I was in for a few hours. It even help me in therapy because I talked about movies with my therapist to relate to the stuff that happened to me. That is why I love movies." I love movies that allow me to fantasize for a couple of hours, while still allowing me to reflect on my own life. Those are the best movies; those are my favorite moments in my life.

"Thank you for trusting me," Christian says. I nod, unsure how to respond. I trust Christian. I also find him to be a good friend. It seemed right. It is silent, as we continue our drive home. We were in some traffic, but I didn't care. "They were great movies. I really had a great time tonight."

"Even though we both cried, it was a great time," I giggle.

He looks at me in all seriousness, "I didn't cry Anastasia."

"Yes you did, you cried during Boyhood, after his mother talked to him when he graduated high school." I know that for sure because I was crying at her amazing words to her son. I turned towards him to ask for a handkerchief, but saw him wiping tears away from his eyes.

"No I didn't, and you have no proof." He says, giving me that smirk I love. _Love?_ I meant like. _Uh huh._

"You know, it's okay to cry." I tease. "I won't tell anyone that the big bad billionaire cried."

"You better not, or I will sue you, especially if you tell Elliot," he jokes.

"My lips are sealed." I pretend to zip my lips shut.

"Good." He then leans in and kisses me. _Holly shit!_ Our lips mold perfectly. I decide to wrap my arms around his neck, as he wraps his around my lower back. We are fully making out, with my hand going through his hair, and his going down my back to my waist, massaging my hip. I moan at the gesture. I pull back, gasping for air. I open my eyes looking at him in awe. Christian kissed me. I never have been kissed liked that. He looks at me, still resting his hand on my hip, but I do not protest. _No you won't._ "Ana, we're here." I turn to see we are in front of my condo. I turn back to him to say something, but he stops me by placing his thumb on my lips. "Remember, your lips are sealed." He then caresses my lips with his thumb, I can't help but close my eyes and kiss his thumb. He removes his thumb, and kisses me again.

"Goodnight Ana." I nod my head, still silent. I notice Sawyer is outside my door, ready to let me out. He opens my door, and I stagger out. I'm walking to my condo in a haze. I don't know what to think right now. I don't want to look back, afraid I'm going to wake up from a dream. I don't even realize Christian is calling me. He stops me by grabbing my arm. I turn to him, still looking shocked.

"That was unprofessional. I didn't mean to put you on that spot with my actions. I should of-" I shut him up by kissing him. I wrap my arms around his neck, and pull him down for a deeper kiss. This kiss is a little more aggressive, but I'm trying to show him that I want this. I pull back, licking my lips. He's the one that looks baffled. I on the other hand feel great. I turn to walk into my condo. I look back at him and wink. I wave to him goodnight. He smiles and waves back. I walk into my building feeling absolutely giddy.

I kissed Christian Grey, my business partner, my friend. What the hell am I going to do?

(Mumble Voice) _Remember,… can't help... lips…sealed._


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews, follows, and favorites.**

 **Chapter 4:**

Christian Grey: Something came up at work, I won't be able to pick you up.

 _Mother fucking shit!_

Christian Grey: I have one of my security, Sawyer, take you. I will meet you at the gala.

Please tell me I am not getting stood up right now. _There is an excellent chance you might be._ I am in my magenta dress, standing in my living room, ready to go for the Coping Together Gala. I am completely covered on the top, but I have a dangerously high slit that at first thought was inappropriate, but Kate said it was a perfect dress. It is hard to disagree with that. I have my hair pulled back in a loose but neat bun. I complete my outfit with beautiful matching strappy heals. I feel sexy for the first time in my life.

But these texts from Christian has got me feeling shitty now. Christian has been avoiding me after our amazing night out. No phone calls, he canceled our meeting, and I have been working with other GEH employees on AMC deals. Now he gives me these texts. The message is loud and clear, he doesn't want to be with me. Maybe I shouldn't even go. _Nope! Just because he is acting like a child, doesn't mean you should. You got your invite. Kate and Elliot are going to be there. You are going._ I am going. I decide to text him back.

Ana Steele: Don't worry about me. I will get there on my own.

I set my phone on silent, not wanting to see anymore messages, and put it in my purse. I leave my home, and head out to my VW. It is the worst choice of car to take to this Gala, but I don't care. _For the record, I wanted you take the ride._

~oOo~

Luckily it doesn't take me too long to reach the Grey's family home in Bellevue. The house is practically a mansion. It is a dream family home, one where I could only imagine being in. I am waiting in a long line to get in, and I even see a red carpet, with photographers taking pictures of guests entering. I eventually get to valet, but am directed to park at the back. I don't know why, but I follow orders anyways. Once I park, a man in a black suit and tie approaches me.

"You're the singer right?"

"The singer?" I asked, unsure what he means.

"Yeah, the singer, in the band. You're an hour late!" Oh, he thinks I work here. _Well this night is going well. Maybe you will be asked to help clean up afterwards._

"Oh, no. I'm a guest." I proceed to show him my invite that was tuck away in my purse.

"Oh shit, my fault. You shouldn't be parked over here." He turns to my car and looks back at me. "It was just with the car and your outfit, we thought you were working the event." I must have been directed to the employees parking lot. I am feeling like I shouldn't be here, but there is no turning back now. _Actually that is an excellent option._

"It is ok. Can you just, show me where I am supposed to go."

"No problem, just walk back to the valet, and the entrance is right next to it." I walk back to the valet station, which is not far, but partially up a hill. I am sweaty, and having trouble walking in heels in the grass. I can't help but wobble, but luckily not fall down. I finally reach the valet, which is right next to the red carpet. I try to clean up a little bit, but can only do so much. I decide to quickly walk through the red carpet, but I am getting hounded for a picture. I stop for a few pictures, but the press seem to stop caring, turning their attention to someone else. I look over and see Bill and Melinda Gates. I guess I can sneak off now.

I finally reach the Gala, and it is truly amazing. I am under an incredibly large tent at the backyard of the Grey's family home. Already several people are mingling, but I don't see Kate and Elliot. There are several round tables with white table cloths covering them. Each table has a full table setting, and at the center is a small red rose floral display with small candles circling them. There are two bars on one side, a stage at the front with a band setup, and several tables with gifts or prizes on them on the other side. This must be for the silent auction. I decide to head over there first. Let's d _rink first._ Excellent idea, but lucky for me there are waiters with trays of champagn. I grab one, as a waiter passes by.

Once I see the prize table, I am truly amazed. These are not cheap prizes. There are trips out of state, jewelry, electronics and free meals at incredible restaurants. There are even tickets to Seattle football and baseball games. This was all donated for a great cause, to help abuse families have better lives. I declare to donate something from AMC next time.

I carefully look at the prizes, trying to decide what I want to bid on, when suddenly a gentleman approaches me. He is a slightly older gentleman with reddish brown hair and lite blue eyes. He is wearing a classic tuxedo with long black tie. He looks handsome, but he makes me feel a little uneasy. I still feel uncomfortable around strangers

"See anything you like?" he asks.

"I see a lot I like actually." This person doesn't look familiar, so I don't know why he is talking to me. But, I will be polite anyways.

"Well bid carefully. These people can be vultures." He says jokingly.

"I will make sure to keep a look out." I continue to look at the prizes, but he seems to have more to say.

"May I make a suggestion for a beautiful woman like yourself?" I blush at his compliment. I always have trouble taking them, especially from strangers.

"Sure."

"I suggest bidding on the day at google Seattle. It will be fun. You will have great food, see how amazing the facilities are, and get to meet the director." I wasn't thinking about that prize. I was thinking of bidding on one of the free meals at a Seattle restaurant. I always love trying other people's food, but that could be interesting.

"How do you know it will be fun?"

"Because I am the director of google Seattle," he says. "Jack Hyde."

"Ana Steele. I am the owner of Annie's Movie Café or AMC."

"Oh, I have heard of you before. I read an interview you did in Business Weekly." I have been starting to do interviews to get the word out on AMC. It is great advertisement, even though I think Kate would be better at it. But she always insists, it should be me.

"I did. I was so nervous about that interview. I didn't realize how much they would ask me about being a 'good businesswoman'."

"It was great. I found you to be very charismatic." He continues to look at me, checking me out more. I feel nervous under his stare, but no longer uneasy. He seems charming. "Here is my business card. Let's have dinner some time and discuss business." I take his card, but I don't offer mine.

"I am a busy woman. I don't know if I could." A young man makes an announcement that dinner will be served in ten minutes. "We should be heading to our tables now."

"Before you leave Ana, please consider my offer."

"I will. Thank you." I start walk away, but before I leave, I place a bid for the google tour. Jack grins at me and walks to his table. _I don't like this._ I am only being polite. It is not like anyone here cares. _I don't like this one bit._

~oOo~

I am the only one at the table so far, and I have a feeling this is the host table. It is the head table and is the only one with no people at this point. I look around to see if anyone is approaching and that is when I see a group of people walking towards me. I can see Elliot and Kate. Elliot is talking to an older couple, which I assume are his parents. Kate is talking to a young Asian woman, who I am assuming is Christian's sister, Mia. I decide to stand up and introduce myself as they get closer.

"Hello, my name is Ana Steele."

"Ana Banana. Stop acting like I don't know you." Elliot approaches me, giving me a gently hug.

"I was just introducing myself to everyone else." I extend my hand to the older woman first. "Hello." She instead gives me a gently hug.

"You must be Christian's date. I am sorry my son is so late." She tells me.

"It is ok."

"No it is not." The older gentleman says, extending his hand. "Carrick Grey," he says shaking my hand. "And this is my wife, Dr. Grace Grey," he says, placing his hand behind his wife's back.

"Nice to meet you Dr. Grey, Mr. Grey."

"No need to be formal. Call us Carrick and Grace." Grace says, sitting in her seat. I eargly wave at Kate, as she sits down. She returns the gesture. I introduce myself to the very bubbly and beautiful Mia Grey.

"Hello, I'm-"

"Ana Steele! I know! I have been following you on Facebook and twitter. I also read anything on you. I am such a fan of you and AMC."

"Oh, thank you." I am unsure how to respond to a…fan. I am active on social media, talking about AMC news and milestones. I also like to talk about recipes and cooking techniques. I don't really pay attention if anyone follows me or not. "And you are Mia Grey, right?"

"How do you know my name?" She asked, sounding surprised.

"Christian talks about you all the time."

"Really?"

"Yep."

"Well that is…surprising." She takes her seat, and I decide to sit down, but stop to realize there is one more person approaching the table, a woman, an older bleach blond hair woman.

"Elena Lincoln." She says, sitting down between Mia and Grace, not shaking my hand.

"My name is-"

"I know. I heard." She pretty much dismisses me. I decide to sit down, and ignore her rude behavior, but something about her makes me suspicious. She is talking to Grace about how fantastic the Gala is, and they seem like friends. She is very showy, with the way she speaks using her hands. The worst part is she is wearing a gold shiny dress that is entirely inappropriate for tonight.

I have a feeling this is the woman who molested Christian when he was a teenager. We only talked about it a few more times from the first time he revealed his past. He told me about his birth mother, and how her pimp and his mother abused him when he was only a toddler. He also told me how, when he got older, his constant bad behavior led him to meet a woman who molested him. I nicknamed her Mrs. Robinson, the older female seducer from The Graduate, considering the way their relationship was.

He said she was a friend of his mother, which made it difficult not to be around her. She was his first investor in GEH, which made him feel like he owed her, even though he paid her back with interests. He even invested in her company. I remember clearly him saying in one phone conversation, 'It felt like she helped me become the man I am now. Like because of the way she treated me is the reason why I am a billionaire at such a young age. But as successful as I am, I am still royally fucked up. I am done with her making me feel like shit. I worked hard for the success I have now. Not her.' _Maybe that is why Christian is not here._

"Where is Christian?" Elena asks.

"At work. Where else?" Grace answers, in irritated tone.

"He said he was going to be here," Mia says, sounding really disappointed.

"He is a very busy man Mia," Elena says.

"He will be. He is just going to be late. Something came up at work." The Grey's look at me like I am lying.

"He already sent in his check." Carrick says. Grace seems to not appreciate this. Christian told me he comes to the Gala, interact with his family, donates, and leaves. Since he already donated, I guess there is no reason to be here. _Except he should be here for his family, like any gentleman should be._

"I am sure he will be here." I try to assure them. I also sneak out my phone and text him quickly.

Anastasia Steele: I don't care if you are not here because of work, me or even Mrs. Robinson. You better get to this Gala or there will be hell to pay! By me!

 _I decided to encourage him a little._

"Enough about Christian. Please Ana, tell us about yourself," Grace asks. I tell them about my business and how I met Christian and Elliot. Kate chimes in with some of the stories I tell about Elliot. They laugh at Elliot's antics, and he seems proud. I talk about how I delivered a great pitch, only to fall at the end. I tell them about AMC and my love for movies. They seem interested in me, Mia the most, Elena the least.

Our three course meal is being served, and I get to learn about the Greys. I learn that Mia is a chef herself, who trained in Paris. It makes sense now with her interest in me. She talks about how she is working at a restaurant as a sous chef, but she doesn't say where, afraid her brothers will embarrass her. I learn that Carrick is a lawyer, and a partner at a very successful practice. Grace talks about her work as a pediatrician and the Coping Together charity. She is Wonder Woman. Elena talks about her AMAZING salons and how expensive and classy they are. I roll my eyes at least twice, and Kate kicks me under the table every time. I know it's rude, but I can't stand how she acts like she is doing amazing work. This only confirms with me she is Mrs. Robinson. Kate even talks about herself. She is nervous about this event, meeting Elliot's parents, so I am glad she is opening up. We all are having great conversation, learning about each other.

We are now served our dessert. Grace and Carrick have to leave to work on organizing the auction items. This reminds Mia of something, "Kate and Ana! You HAVE to do the dance auction!"

"What's the dance auction?" Kate asks.

"Women and men go up on the stage, and the host introduce them with crazy stories about them. Then people auction on them for the first dance of the night. It is fun, if your brothers are not bidding on you." Mia explains, glaring at Elliot.

"Fat chance sis." Elliot says with a cheesy grin. Mia huffs out in annoyance.

"At least I only have to worry about you bidding on me. Anyways, you two should do it! The more the merrier."

"I am down." Kate says. I am not sure if I want to do it. I don't want to be rude. I just don't think someone will bid on me.

"Ok. I will do it too." I think I hear Elena chuckle under her breath, but I ignore her.

"Great! Because we have to go now." We get up from the table to head up on the stage. An announcement is made that the first dance auction is about to begin. We line up on the side of the stage, and the host comes up and ask for our names and careers. He is writing down our answers, but I doubt he is going to use this information.

The auction begins with a few women, I have not yet met, getting auctioned off. Apparently they are friends of Grace or Mia. They are going for a 10 to 20 thousand dollars, which is surprisingly high. Kate is up. The host introduces her.

"Next is business woman and world renowned columnist, Kate Kavanagh. She is also the Duchess of Washington, and any man will be lucky to dance with her majesty." Kate should enjoy that. The bidding starts at $5,000 from Elliot. There are a few men who bid on Kate, but Elliot doesn't let up. The final bid is $75,000, won by Elliot. That is incredible, but no way Elliot was going to have someone else dance with Kate.

A few more women and a man goes up to be auctioned off. Everyone is still getting auction for about 10 thousand dollars, with Kate still holding the highest bid. Mia is up.

"Now introducing chef Mia Grey. I hope you can speak French because this little beauty grew up in a small town in France. Lucky for us, she moved to America to share her sweets." That was a little dirty, but Mia seems to not mind, as she laughs at his remarks. The bidding starts at $5,000, coming from Elliot, of course. But there is a young man in the back who is bidding on her too. They are going back and forth, and Elliot is getting frustrated. Eventually the young mid bids $100,000. Mia is excited, as she jumps off the stage meeting the young man. Getting a closer look at him, I might be wrong, but I think he is the founder of . I can see why she is so excited.

A few more men and women are auctioned off, and I realize I am last. I wish Mia moved me up on the list. I am getting self-conscious by how much money people are getting auctioned off. No one will spend that much money on me.

"And finally, we have Anastasia Steele, chef and owner of Annie's Movie Café. That's right, she is a famous chef and actress, gracing the movie screens across the country. Shall we start the bidding."

"$10,000!" Jack Hyde bid on me. I am happy that someone has bid on me, but shocked it's Jack. I didn't think I made an impression on him, but I guess I did.

"$11,000." Another male I don't know bids on me.

"20,000!" Jack bids again, even higher.

"25,000!" Another male bids on me, and Jack has some competition. I start to blush at the attention. The bids keep increasing, but Jack ends the bidding war with $55,000.

"$55,000 going once, going twice-"

"100,000!" Suddenly, in the back of the room, Christian appears, bidding on me.

"150,000!" Jack counters.

"200,000!" Christian is not letting up. I look at him shocked at his bid, but he is walking into the Gala, giving the death glare to Jack.

"250,000!" This is too much. Jack shouldn't be bidding anymore. It is obvious Christian is not going to give up.

"300,000!"

"325,000!"

"400,000!" I look at Jack, begging him with my eyes to stop bidding. But he looks at me, looking absolutely determined.

"500,000!"

"1,000,000!" There are murmurs in the room. People are shocked at how much I am going for. I feel like I am going to pass out.

"Going once…going twice….Sold! For one million dollars to the Christian Grey." People are clapping amazed at the high bid. Christian is approaching the stage, to come and get his prize. Me. I guess I was wrong. _Oh how wrong you were._

~oOo~

"Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight Ms. Steele?" Christian is in an impeccably tailored tuxedo. He definitely looks beautiful. _More like sexy._ _SO! So, sexy._

"No, not yet, but it is about time." He gives me a sexy grin after my comment. "I am glad you came tonight."

"After your text, I was afraid to see Anastasia Steele's fury." He says. I am glad my text was the kick in the but he needed to get here. He should be here for his family. _And you._

"You should be afraid of it. I take no prisoners." I jokingly say. We continue our slow dance looking into each other eyes. I am so happy that he is here. After he paid for the one million dollar bid, he went to greet his parents. They were thrilled to see him, particularly Mia. But, I could tell he was physically uncomfortable with Elena being around. I wish I could help him. "By the way, as much as I appreciate you bidding on me, that was way too much money for a dance."

"It was worth every penny Anastasia. I would bid more if I had to. There was no way I was going to let some self-righteous cocky website director out bid me. When I want something, I do everything I can to get it."

"So you want me? I am not sure considering the way you had been acting after our kiss." I whisper to Christian, fearful of the answer.

"I know I have been distant, but Ana… I want you so bad." _YES!_ "You are a beautiful, strong business woman, and an amazing person." _Yes! Yes!_ "But I can't be with you." _NO!_ "If I could choose to be with anyone for the rest of my life, it would be you. But, I don't want to hurt you. I can't hurt you."

"Then don't." I hope I don't sound pushy, but I believe Christian and I have something special. "I know you won't hurt me."

"Ana, it just won't work."

"Then why did you kiss me more than once?" He looks down shaking his head. He then looks back at me.

"I shouldn't have." I don't believe him.

"Well, I don't regret kissing you." I say confidentially. We continue our dance, but I am too stubborn. I am not going to end our conversation like this. "Maybe tonight…just tonight, we can make people think I am yours. Just so people will stop bothering you." I specifically mean Elena, who is ready to jump on him the moment I leave his side.

"How do we do that Ana?" He asks, smiling again.

"We can pretend to be Bogart and Bergman in Casablanca."

"I didn't like how that movie ended."

"I know, but we can pretend we it's the 1940s in Paris, and we are saying goodbye to each other." I then wrap my arounds around him, and kiss him. He is about to pull back, but changes his mind, wrapping his arms around my back tighter, virtually liftings me up. We have a passionate kiss; one you only see in the movies. One that makes you want to wrap the person kissing you into your arms and never let go. A kiss that shows…love. I think I love him, even though he may not love me.

(Crash)

We pull away and turn to the noise to see Grace and Elena looking at us for two very different reasons; Grace with the happiest look I ever seen a mother have, and Elena with fierce anger. It looked like they knocked over a tray of champagne glasses because below them is a waiter, who is desperately trying to clean up. _Fucking Bitch! Elena, not Grace. Never Grace._

"I am so, sorry." The young male waiter keeps repeating, trying to clean up with a rag.

"That is ok." Grace says, never looking away. She then gasps looking directly at Christian chest. I have my hands on his chest, while he has his around my back. I quickly remove my hands, knowing I could be hurting Christian. But this gesture only makes her smile more, with a twinkle in her eye.

I look around and see several people staring at us. I see Kate looking amused. Elliot and Mia look shocked. Carrick look confused. We walk towards them trying to help them clean the mess, and Christian trying to move his mother away from it.

"Mom, are you ok?" Christian asks, worried about his mother and her stunned appearance.

"Of course Christian, I'm… perfect." Grace says in such a delightful way, you can't help but smile.

"Let me get something to clean that up with." I quickly walk away from the mess, out of the tent into the kitchen, only to have Kate follow me.

"What was that?"

"I don't know. It looked like Elena bumped right into Grace, or the other way around." I am desperately looking around the kitchen for some dish towels, only to find them in a cabinet.

"Not that! Forget the mess!" I stop what I am doing staring at Kate like she is crazy. "The kiss! The most passionate kiss I have ever seen in my life! What was that?"

"Christian and I? Oh we were just acting. We were talking about Casablanca, and then we just kissed."

"What?! WHAT?! That…that was not just a kiss Ana! That was hot! That was a kiss you read in romance novels!"

"It was just a-"

"NO! Don't you dare lie to yourself! No more! That was incredible! I knew something was up, I just didn't think it was that!" She is looking around the kitchen thinking, trying to figure out something. She finally turns to me. "How long have you be dating?"

"We haven't been dating Kate. We are just friends. We just…talk."

"About what?"

"Business."

"That is it?"

"No." Now I am starting to feel shy. I don't want to reveal everything we talk about. That is between me and Christian.

"What else?"

"Some personal stuff."

"Like your past?"

"Kate, I don't want to talk about this anymore, not here."

"Fine, but Ana, you have to believe me. That kiss was something way more than pretend." Kate walks away, leaving with my thoughts. I know she is right, but there is nothing more I can do about it. Christian can't be with me, so he says.

Grace then comes into the kitchen with Carrick, and two waiters who have the broken glass on a tray. "You can put the glass in here." Grace tells the waiters, where she then shows them where the trash is. She stops abruptly seeing me standing in the kitchen with dish cloths. Carrick bumps right into her, almost causing another accident.

"I have towels if you need them."

"Oh no dear, we should be fine." She takes the dish cloths, and puts them back into the pantry.

"You shouldn't worry about these things. You are our guest." Carrick states rather sweetly. Grace goes to stand right next to him, where they both are smiling wildly. We kind of just stand and stare at each other. I am now awkwardly smiling at their very happy faces.

"Well, I am going to go now."

"Of course, of course." Grace turns her body, allowing me to leave the kitchen. "And thank you."

"For what?"

"For…" Grace seems to be stumbling to say something.

"For helping us clean the spilled champagne." Carrick decides to interject.

"Right, spilled champagne." Grace says, almost in a complete sentence. I walk away, ready to leave as they stare at me.

I then remembered, "By the way, Christian is right, you two are really great people."

"Christian talks about us to you?" Grace asks in confusion.

"Oh yea, he talks about the both of you all the time." Is Grace about to cry? I hope not. I should leave. "Thanks?" I awkwardly walk out to a very stunned Carrick and Grace Grey.

I walk back to the tent, but I don't see Christian. Elliot and Kate are slow dancing, looking at each other with love in their eyes. I am so glad they admitted their feelings to each other. Anytime now, there will be wedding bells. I know, I helped Elliot pick out the ring.

I then walk outside the tent, looking for Christian. "Christian!" I yell out, waiting for a response, but I don't hear anything. I then see two people near the boathouse, a man and a woman. I think the man is Christian. I walk closer to them, hiding behind a tree. _Nice move Sherlock._ Shut it Watson! As I get a better look, I now see it is Elena, who has Christian by his arms.

"What is wrong with you?! Bringing a girl like that here?! Do you think she is good for you?! She will never fill your needs!" Elena practically yells at Christian. I am surprised he is not pushing her away, but maybe he doesn't want to hurt her? As I get even closer, I realize he looks frozen, maybe even scared.

"Leave. Me. Alone." Christian says angrily, but he seems like he can't get away.

"Leave you alone?! Never! You think I should leave you alone?! Look what happens when I do that! You haven't had a submissive in months!" Submissive? _Like BDSM?_ "And now you are playing house with that little girl!?" _Hey! I am the only one who calls her a little girl!_ I am starting to get angry. She doesn't even know me. "I know what you need Christian. I know you just need a little brunette you beat the shit out of and fuck her afterwards." She puts her grubby skeleton hands on his cheeks, moves them down his neck to his shoulders. He does nothing, but breathes hard. She then slowly approach his chest.

He immediately grabs her wrist before they go any farther. "ENOUGH! GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!"

"Look at you. You are becoming pathetic. This is what happens when you stop with the BDSM lifestyle. Is this what you want?! To be pitiful?! To let a little girl drag you around like you are a little puppy who is in love with his master?! You are a Dom! Act like it! Don't let a little gold digging bitch drag you down!" _That is your cue._

"ENOUGH!" I then make my appearance known, standing in front of the tree. "Leave him alone! Leave us alone!"

"Us?!" Elena says with such exasperation. Christian turns to me looking confused. He then transforms in to the businessman I have seen several times. This makes me feel more confident.

"Yes, us!" I then walk right at her. Even though she is taller than me, I will not be made to feel small. "It is obvious you know nothing about us. All that….shit you were saying, was just that, SHIT! Christian is a Dom!" _Do you know this to be true?_ I am not sure what I am saying, but I have an idea based on a movie. _Of course._

"And how the hell would you know?" Elena asks only challenging even more.

"Because I see him rule a board meeting without breaking a sweat. He earns people respect without even speaking a word. He can negotiate a multi-million dollar deal, while you get your fake nails glued on." Elena gasps with that comment. "Christian is a Dom! And I do everything he says." _This is bending the truth a little bit_. In a way, I do, but that is because Christian has never led me in the wrong direction. He knows what I need and when I need it, before I even think about it… in business of course. _Of course._ "And I am willing to submit to him, because I want to. Because it makes him happy. Because it makes me happy." _In a weird way, this is all true_.

Elena looks absolutely perplexed. She keeps snapping her head back and forth between Christian and I. If Christian is surprised, he is not showing it. Elena begins to laugh in a very Cruella de Vil voice. Thank goodness I don't have any Dalmatian puppies. "You think I should believe you little girl?" _I said it once, and I will say it again. I am the only one who calls her little girl witch!_

"Believe it Elena." She snaps her head to Christian. "Ana submits to me willing. And I am a lucky Dom for it." The most intimidating Christian I have ever seen comes out. He squares his shoulders, and walks sternly right up to Elena. "As for you, you can kiss your salons goodbye. I am backing out of your company. You will be on your hands and knees begging for someone to invest in your salons. If you cross me or Ana gain, I will ruin your name so bad, no one will want to even be around you. And that will be without saying what you did to me when I was 15."

"Christian, we're friends."

"ENOUGH! You are not my friend. I only realize true friendship until I met Ana. All you ever did was use me." _The little boy has grown up._ "You will stay the hell away from and my family, and that includes Ana. Or you will regret it." _He did that a little better than you._ Most certainly. Elena backs away slowly, wanting to say something, but realizing the conversation is over. She then stumbles away, looking like she is going to cry. _Bye Bitch._ When Elena is out of sight, Christian turns to me, looking at me in complete awe.

"Well that was weird." I say awkwardly, nervously fiddling with my hands. "Don't you hate party poopers?" _Oh little girl, don't you have something more appropriate to say?_

"Anastasia, come with me." _Don't think, just go._

"Ok." He reaches out for my hand, and I take it, instantly feeling our connection. It is such a vibrant feeling, I never want it to go away. He walks me down to the docks, and open the door to the boat house. There is no time to check out the beautiful boats strapped inside. Christian is on a mission. He leads me upstairs, where there is a couch and sofa chairs setup in front of a beautiful bay window. Christian goes to the window to open them, so the moonlight shines in, illuminating the room.

Christian turns to me, and takes two steps right to me, where he gives me an arousing, passionate kiss. Again! He grabs my loose bun, yanking my hair down. He has better access to my neck, where he sucks and nips all over. He then kisses behind my left ear. The slight pain of my hair being pulled, and the licking behind my ear makes me shiver. I gasp out his name, "Christian."

"Anastasia." He then looks at me sternly, straight into my eyes, still holding my hair tightly. "If you want me to stop, all you have to do is tell me to stop. But, for the next hour, I want you to submit to me." _Yes!_ I never wanted something more in my life right now. _Yes!_ I can already feel my arousal coating my panties. _Yes!_ Sex had no meaning for me, something done to me for someone else's enjoyment, if you can even call that sex. Am I ready for that now? _Yes!_ No, I'm not. _What?!_ I have to tell Christian. _No!_

"Christian, I want to, I really do."

"What is holding you back Anastasia? Do you not want me?" _Yes! We want you!_

"Yes, I want you so badly. I am pretty sure if you feel between my legs, you would know it."

"May I?" _YES!_

With just a whisper, "Yes." He then takes his free hand that is not in my hair, and brushes his fingertips down my throat, over my right breast, down my stomach, to my dress slit. He never looks away. He then moves his hand to my inner thigh, where he begins his approach up, to my soaked panties. He moves his fingertips over my panties, touching me ever so carefully. I can't help but moan, staring into his striking grey eyes.

"Oh my beautiful Ana, you very much want me." I moan again in response to his comment. "So tell me, what is holding you back?"

"I am not ready for sex. I mean…I had sex before, but...I wouldn't count it as sex. Then... there was my college boyfriend, but…he…just….didn't understand me…and my past. So...its just…wasn't good." _Stop babbling!_ "I never had an orgasm." _Nope, go back to babbling, please._

He removes his hand away from me to cup my face. I probably look like a loss little girl, but that is how I feel right now. "Don't worry Anastasia. I would never push you into something you are not ready for." I know he wouldn't. He never has. "I need you to tell me one thing. Do you trust me?"

"With my life." And I mean it.

"Then my lovely Anastasia, there are so many other things we can do besides having sex."

 _Yes._


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: This chapter and the last is typically how long the chapters are going to be. I know Chapter 3 was really long, which I liked to think was the friendship chapter. So I didn't want to separate it. But my chapters won't usually be that long. I do like a long chapter though.**

 **Enjoy this chapter. This is where the M rating really comes into play. Go to the third section if smut is not for you. I understand if you would want to skip it.**

 **Chapter 5:**

My heart is beating out of my chest and I long for his lips to touch me again. We both slowly draw together, and I angle my head up to kiss him. I can feel my lips tingle before he even touches me, but once they do, I feel electrified. I practically lose my breath with the way he is kissing me. He feels so warm, but is aggressive. He has complete control of the kiss, but I want him to.

He is moving his hands down from my face, to my neck, to my breast. Both of his hands are cupping my breast, kneading them and pinching my nipples through my dress. I have medium size breast, and he seems to appreciate them. His hands feel amazing. I am so aroused, I can't think straight. _Stop thinking Ana. Let go. You are safe here._

Christian sweeps his tongue over my lips, asking for entrance. I let him in, even though I have no clue what I am doing. But I continue to let him take over. I am not scared.

I move my hands from his neck, down his arms, to his lower back. I avoid his chest remembering how Elena taunted him. _Good girl._ He then moves his hands down my breast to my backside, where he begins to grab my ass with both hands, one hand for each cheek.

"I been wanting to grab your ass ever since I met you, when you fell on all fours." I can only giggle. "Something funny Anastasia?" He does this while caressing my ass.

"That was so embarrassing. I wish you didn't remember that"

"How can I forget? You were the first business partner, who fell head over heels for me." I giggle even more, as he keep rubbing my ass harder. He presses me against his manhood, and I only can gasps by how big he is.

"Don't worry sweetheart, we will not go down there tonight. I just wanted to feel you, just a little bit."

"One day?" I ask. I do want to have sex with Christian. I am just too afraid right now. I need to gain more confidence first.

"One day soon."

He then swoops me in his arms, carrying me bridal style. I yelped, only to be slightly frightened, but begin to giggle at the surprise.

"I love your giggle. It makes me smile."

"Then I will sure to giggle more."

"Not too much. I got a reputation to protect." I giggle even more.

"I doubt your reputation will be ruined by being happy every now and then." He can only smirk to that comment. There is a blanket laid on the floor, and he lays me on top of it, in front of the window. He leaves me only briefly to put a pillow under my head and my bottom. I lay in front of him, giving myself to him, and there is nowhere else I want to be.

He carefully removes each of strappy heels, kissing the top of my left foot and then my right. He never lets them go, pushing them against the wall behind me, so my toes are touching the wall behind me.

"Don't move your feet." I have my legs completely stretched and spread over me. I am breathing hard, not knowing what he is going to do next. I do know that my dress is hiked to my waist, and I am completely exposed to him. I feel nervous and shaky, but most of all turned on. He drags his hands down my legs to my inner thighs, spreading me even more.

"Your smell is completely intoxicating." He has his face almost buried in my pussy. _Pussy?_ Yes, pussy, it is the only word appropriate right now. _Ok, continue._ He begins to lick and nip my pussy through my panties. I can feel his nose rubbing on my clit. I am panting frantically, only realizing I am approaching an overwhelming sensation that I never felt before. _That, is an orgasm!_ It feels amazing.

He rubs my folds through my panties slowly with two fingers. My panties are drenched with my arousal at this point. He pulls my panties up, exposing my lips. I close my eyes, as the pleasure takes over my body. My hands are balled up in a fist. I never had felt like this before, but I feel like I am loosing control in the best way possible. He moves my panties up and down, back and forth, and the sensation is overwhelming. He then kisses and sucks me through my panties. I cannot take it anymore.

"Oh Christian, Christian, I think I'm gonna… Christian!" My hips are gyrating. Christian moves his hands from my thighs, to my chest where he grabs my breast with each hand. My body begins to vibrate, as I arch my back and my breast press into his hands. I feel the orgasm rip through my body, and I feel breathless.

"God you're beautiful." Christian grabs my feet from the wall, and place both my legs together, resting my ankles on his left shoulder. "You came fast." I blush in embarrassment. I know I am inexperienced, but I hate being that inexperienced. "That means you can come several times." I am surprised by what he said. I can't imagine having more orgasms. "So, I am not done with you yet sweetheart." He winks at me, giving me a sexy grin. I can't believe there's more. I don't know if I can take another orgasm. _I think we can handle it. Let's just see._

He moves my body closer to his hips, with the back of my thighs lying next to his manhood. "Remove the top of your dress Ana. I would tear it right off you, but it is too beautiful to ruin." I reach behind my back to unclasp my dress. I then push the dress off my arms. He then takes the top of my dress and move it past my hips. He gently take it off from my legs, never removing them from his shoulders. "Now the bra." I unclasp my black bra and slide it off my body, handing it to him. "Now your panties." I am not sure how I am going to do this in the position I am, but I will not disobey. I come up with a plan. I bend my knees towards my chest. I reach for my black panties, and slowly pull them down my hips, then up my thighs. Once I cross my bent knees, I pull them down my calves, only to remove them. I then hang my panties on my toes of my right foot, and extend my foot to his face. I am not sure how he will react to this. But lucky for me, he grabbed them with his mouth. I can only smile, very pleased with myself. He grabs them from his mouth, and puts them to his nose to smell my arousal.

"You are never getting these back." He puts them in his pants pocket. I never felt sexy with anyone, but with Christian, I feel like an amazingly sexy woman. "Ankles back." I obey his command, placing both of my ankles on his left shoulder. This time he puts one of my ankles on his right shoulder, opening me up just a little bit to him. At this point, I am completely naked, and he is fully clothed, only removing his suit jacket and bow tie.

I don't feel self conscious about my body. Probably because I never really think about my body. I have wide, muscular hips and strong calves from all the squatting, walking and standing I do while cooking. I have a flat stomach, no abs though. I don't really work out. I have strong arms, but not too muscular as well. And my breast are 34C. I like to think I am supple, but overall, pretty average, but under Christian's gaze, I seem like so much more.

He rubs my feet, kissing and licking my toes. He might have a foot fetish. _I think he has many fetishes._ He moves his hands from my feet to my calves, massaging them a little bit. Then down to my thighs, where he rubs the inner part. The whole thing feels so sensual.

He passes where I want him to touch me so much, and has both his hands over my stomach, where he then places them on my breast, caressing them. He growls while massaging my breast. He likes to pinch my nipples, which the slight pain intensifies the sensation even more. He leans forward, so he can suck and bite my right breast. I moan, feeling the pain and pleasure of it all. He sits straight back up again, with my ankles still resting on his shoulders.

He suddenly places his index finger in my pussy. "So tight. So wet." I moan to his comment, and cover my face with my arms. I feel so hot, like my face is turning completely red. He begins to move in and out, slightly bending his finger. I feel it again, the build up to an orgasm. I feel my stomach muscles completely tightening, like my inside is building up to release. I decide to remove my arms and place them on my sides, as I grip the blanket under me. Even though it feels really tight, I feel so euphoric, like nothing matters in this world, except for the man right in front of me, never leaving my gaze.

Christian begins to move faster, causing me to come for the second time ever. He slows down, only to slip in his second finger. "Christian, I can't. This feels…too much." He removes his other hand from my thigh, and rubs my breast again, pinching my right nipple. The jolt of pain was enough and I came again, another orgasm ripping through my body. I am shaking and sweating after this orgasm.

Suddenly Christian moves his face to my pussy, opening my legs wide for him. He begin to lick my arousal, continuing to finger me. This prolongs my orgasm, leading to another one. I can't stop panting, and I am moaning much too loud. I am afraid someone will hear me. I close my eyes, and clutch my mouth shut.

Christian stops his licking, only to look at me. "Ana, open your eyes." I do. "Look up, out the window." I arch my back to look behind me outside the window. I hear the whistle before I see them. Fireworks! He wants me to watch the fireworks. "Look at the fireworks Ana. Moan as loudly as you want. No one will hear you." He continues with the sucking, nipping, and licking the folds of my pussy and my clit. The beautiful colors light the room in pretty purples, greens, blues, and reds. I notice my naked body are covered in these colors as well.

Christian has me on the edge of coming, and I am moaning so loudly. There are so many feelings I am experiencing right now; I can't help but to cry. The tears are flowing, as my third or fourth orgasm rips through my entire body. I lost count at this point. I feel it through my curling toes, my tensed legs, my crunching stomach, and my hardening nipples. But most of all, I feel it in my beating heart, which beats loudly for Christian.

 _That little girl, is love._

~oOo~

Christian lays my legs gently on the floor, removing the pillow under my behind, and placing it under my knees. "Are you all right Ana?" All I can do is nod yes. He places his two fingers that have been inside me next to my face. "That Ana, is what your pleasure smell like. It is absolutely intoxicating." I sniff his fingers to smell myself. It is an indescribable smell, but I am glad he likes it. "Like my fingers." I don't even histate. I do what he says, sucking and licking his two fingers. _Not bad._ "You taste delicious Ana." _Hey, to each their own._ Christian lays next to me, covering us with an extra blanket. I lay on my side, leaning my head on my arm.

"We should probably head back. I am sure your parents are worried about you."

"Don't worry about it, my mom usually expect us to stay over the night since it runs so late. I usually leave early, but this has been one hell of a night. She will probably be happy I am spending the night for once. I will text Elliot just in case." Christian reaches for his pants, into his pocket to take his phone out and send a quick text to Elliot. I didn't realize he was just in his then decides to take his tuxedo shirt off, leaving himself with his boxers and undershirt. How the hell it stayed on perfectly, I have no idea. He looks like my own personal underwear model. _Life is great._

"Your mother is so cool."

"That she is." I can't help but giggle as I roll into my pillow, laughing at the absurdity of everything that just happened. "You are laughing at me Ms. Steele. Want to explain?"

"I wasn't laughing at you. I promise. I just feel like a teenager, sneaking off with a boy during a party, making out with him." I can't help but laugh even more. I like feeling so carefree.

Christian laughs with me, "I guess it does feel like we are teenagers, although, I never done anything like this, and we were definitely doing more than making out." He leans over to kiss my forehead. I relax deeper with this kind gesture.

"You were definitely not just making out with me."

"You were crying Anastasia, earlier. Are you ok? Did I hurt you?"

"No Christian. I was just…overwhelmed. It felt so amazing, but different and perfect. I think that was the only way I could express my emotions."

"There was another way, Anastasia." He then licks his two fingers. He laughs at his own silliness, and I laugh right with him. I quickly stop my laughing, realizing I have not satisfied him at all.

"Are you ok? I can help you out. I am so selfish for not satisfying you."

"Don't worry about it. You satisfied me."

"How? I didn't even touch you."

"You have to promise me Ana that what I say doesn't leave this room. It stays between us and only us. Promise?"

"I pinky square promise." I reach out my hand and stick out my pinky to Christians face. His response is to bite my pinky. "Hey! You are not supposed to do that silly. You are supposed to cross your pinky with my pinky, and that will make sure our promise stays between us, and only us." He reaches my pinky with his pinky and crosses it, only to look utterly confused. "It is a life promise, I swear. Now tell me Christian."

"When you were bent over, and I was nuzzling your sweet pussy, I was stroking myself. And when I was fingering you, I was rubbing my dick against your lower buttocks."

"What, no way! Really?! I didn't feel anything."

"I am a smoothed criminal, sweetheart." I began to laugh at his remark.

"I should've never given you my Michael Jackson music. Only more quotes for you to say."

"What! It is good music. Plus, I try to never say these things in a business setting, only with you where I can be ridiculous. Although, I did say 'I'll be back.', but it was totally in context."

"Oh my goodness." I can only laugh harder with how Christian likes to say entertainment quotes like me. "I knew you would sneak movie quotes in your everyday life."

"I couldn't help it."

"And wait a minute, why didn't you want me to tell anyone about what you did?" I don't understand why he would want to keep it a secret that he came with me.

"Because I am a grown man, and I just masturbated like I was a teenager. You think I never had sex before, the way I was humping your ass. You don't want that shit to get around Anastasia."

I then look straight at him, thinking about what we just talked about. "You are so confident sexually. I wish I was like that."

"I can only talk about sex like that with you."

"Why?"

"I don't know. I guess I trust you."

"I am glad. I want it to stay like that." I can't help it at this point. I want to be with him more tonight. I push his shoulders, so he is laying on his back.

"What are you doing Ana?" He asks, still complying with my actions.

"I want to see you, taste you."

"Ana, you don't-"

"Please, Christian. I want to do this." I want to prove to myself I can do this. I can be with a man intimately. I don't want to be scared anymore. I know I am not ready for sex yet. I still have questions and should go on birth control. But I am ready for this.

He nods his head, giving me permission. I push his undershirt up a little bit to expose his incredibly toned abs. I kiss his stomach, appreciating his beautiful body. I slip his boxers down, exposing himself to me. _Holy shit is big. Abort mission!_ He is easily nine inches, and really thick. I don't know how to handle something so large.I am getting scared now, unsure what to do. I look at Christian, worried and confused. "You're going to have to help me. I'm sorry." I have done this once with my college boyfriend, but I had to tell him to stop, as I freaked out.

"Don't worry. Take it slow. I want you to first touch me, with your right hand." I do, touching him with my fingertips. I touch his tip, and drag my fingers all the way down. He feels smooth, but hard. He hisses with my touch.

He gives me more direction, "I want you to wrap your hand around me, not too tightly." I wrap my small hands around the base. "Now slowly move up and down." I do, going up carefully and down. He is getting harder and moans in pleasure, as I go faster. I am starting become more comfortable touching him. "Stop." I do, thinking I did something wrong.

"I want you to lick me, from the base to the tip, a few times." I don't hesitate. I lick him, almost like I am licking ice cream. "Fuck!" He moans out, and I decide to lick him more, but also rubbing him with my right hand. "Suck the tip Ana." I do, wrapping my mouth around him. He moans louder. "Go down Ana, as much as you can, slowly." I do, lowering my head down his large dick. I close my eyes, trying to relax. He brushes my hair away from my face, and places his hand on my head. He is not pushing me or forcing me down. He is actually massaging my scalp. I moan around him when he does this. It feels so comforting.

Once he reaches to the back of my throat, I come back up. I release him, smiling. I probably look like a mess, but I am proud of myself right now. He smiles right back at me, and asks me to continue. I do.

I get more comfortable, as I straddle his leg. I lick him a few times, and wrap my mouth around him again, bobbing up and down. He massages my scalp, as I continue to move. He at first tasted salty, but it now a mix of my own saliva and him. It doesn't taste bad.

He is cursing and moaning as I continue my actions. He is enjoying himself, and I am proud I am the one doing it. "Ana, I am going to come." I release him, looking at him, unsure what to do. "Stroke me." I do, with my right hand. "Faster!" He commands. I do, going faster, but I feel like I can't get a good rhythm.

He seemed to enjoy himself the most when I had him in my mouth. So I wrap him in my mouth again, and suck him hard. I bob my head a few times, and suddenly I feel a salty warm liquid squirt in my mouth. I can't help but swallow, but I start to feel the need to cough. I release him, and stood up, coughing. Christian quickly gets up, pushing up his boxers, and goes to the bathroom. He comes back with a cup of water.

"Drink." I do, and I stop coughing.

"Much better," I say, giving him a big smirk. He starts laughing, shaking his head covering his face with his hands. "Why are you laughing at me?"

"You weren't suppose to swallow!" He says laughing harder. I am getting embarrassed with my mistake.

"I didn't know." I whisper to him, turning away. He instantly stops laughing and wrap his arms around me.

"Oh sweetheart, I loved it." I turned to him, surprised by what he is saying. "I just didn't think you would love it." He chuckles a little bit, and I smirk, wrapping my arms around him.

"I didn't dislike it. I was surprised. It was salty and warm, but then it tastes oddly sweet."

"I eat a lot of fruit," he says, giving me a full grin. We both laugh.

 _Well, that was...different._

~oOo~

We are laying on the full size bed. Christian is laying on his back, and I am laying on my stomach. We have the windows open, so we are both looking out to the water, enjoying the view. He turns to look at me with concern in his eyes. "I almost let you go tonight. I was going to let Ros take your account completely over. I was going to stop calling you and answering your calls. I was going let you move on with your life, without me." His words hurt me. "That was why I was late today. I was setting the plan in motion." How could he let everything we have go? "But the way you stood up for me tonight, I couldn't let you go after that."

"Well, now you won't let me go. We can be together."

"Even after everything you know?"

"Yep."

"Ana-"

"Before you say anything," I quickly interrupt. I sit up, with the sheet wrap around me. "I saw this movie, one that was not with my dad. He would've locked me up in my room if he knew I watched this film. It is called Secretary. I think you might like it."

"What is it about?" Christian gets more comfortable, propping his head on his arm, and looking right at me.

"Are you really interested?"

"I am. Please continue. But first, I want you comfortable." He places my head on his chest, and rubs my scalp.

I quickly remove my head, "Christian, I don't want to hurt you."

"Don't worry about it sweetheart, you can't hurt me." He lays my head back on his chest. "Please, continue."

"Well, it is about this girl, who is socially awkward, and emotionally...sensitive. Her family is completely dysfunctional, and she was just released from the hospital after she tried to cut herself. She is trying to be normal, getting a job as a secretary at an attorney's office. The boss's name is Mr. Grey."

"Bullshit!" He yells, looking at me, making sure I am not making this up.

"I am serious, his name is E. Edward Grey." I lay my head back on his chest.

"This is not a story secretly about me?"

"No, I don't think so. Mr. Grey hires her, even though technically she is overqualified. She is actually really smart, she just doesn't look the part."

"Did she wear a bottom-up white shirt and black slacks?" I look back at him, not happy with his reference.

"No! And my black pants were very nice. May I continue?"

"Yes, please Ms. Steele." I stick out my tongue at him. He grabs it quickly with his two fingers. I kiss his hand and start giggling from his silly behavior once again.

"So," as I continue with describing one of my favorite movies, I lay my head on his chest again, and place my hand on his chest as well. I rub comforting circles over on him. "Mr. Grey has strict working conditions. She is ok with this, but she finds it challenging working under such circumstances. She does everything Mr. Grey says, and even though she makes mistakes, he would be aroused by her behavior. She would literally do anything he said, but he never abused his power.

"He later found out that she use to hurt herself, and he demanded that she never do it again. She happily obliges, and they then go into a Dom/sub type relationship. With that relationship, she becomes more sexually and personally confident. She also falls in love with him."

"Does he love her?"

"Well, there lies the conflict. Mr. Grey doesn't like that he has these sexual…habits. It makes him feel insecure and unsure on whether he loves his secretary or not. So he distance himself from her."

"This isn't a movie, is it? You could just tell me I was wrong."

"It is a movie, I swear. We can watch it later."

"Ok, go on."

"Because of their uncertain relationship, the secretary ends up dating someone else, and tries to have a conventional relationship. They have terrible sex. Mr. Grey finds out, and he fires the secretary."

"Good, I would have too. I do not like sharing my submissive." _Interesting._

"She gets engaged with her boring boyfriend, even though she doesn't want to. But when she is trying on wedding dresses, and her family all around her are acting like everything is fantastic, she realize she hates her life, and loves Mr. Grey. She runs back to Mr. Grey and declares her love for him."

"And he takes her back."

"Nope, he is uncertain about her loyalties and devotion to him. He tests her by telling her to sit in his chair and not move until he returns. She does it willing."

"For how long?"

"Three days!"

"What! That is crazy!"

"She loved him. She wanted to show her love for him. So she was willing to do anything to prove her devotion to him."

"Wow."

"Yeah." I relive the moment of seeing that movie for the first time. Seeing how much she was willing to do to show her love. She was willing to risk her life. That is a really powerful. "He eventually returns to her, and takes her to his home where he bathes her and nurtures her. They got married and continued their Dom/sub relationship."

"So Ms. Steele, why do you like this film?" Christian curiously asks. "And it better not be the hunger strike to show her love craziness."

"No, it's not." I don't know if I am ready to tell him.

"Tell me Ana, what is it? I won't judge. I am the wrong person to do it." _It is time to tell him Ana. You can trust him._

"My mom and dad were together for a while, since I was seven years old, but eventually my dad couldn't stay with her. My mother, Carla, would be distant with him, and never would be around. She would even cheat on him. So, my dad divorced her. He didn't know though that she would get full custody of me. He was in the military, and didn't have a stable environment. So I went to my mother, with visitation from my father mainly during Holidays and weekends."

"What did your mother do for work?"

"That is the thing. She was the most unstable person I know. She would do all kinds of jobs. She started three business, all them failing in the end. We would travel from city to city, never settling in one place. I use think it was her way of showing me the country, but she really moved because of a man and money. She would date a man for a couple of years, and the moment she got bored, she would dump him and move on, taking me to another city."

"Sound hectic."

"It was more than hectic. It was hell. I never knew where I belonged. I was constantly the new girl, trying to make friends, but it didn't matter. We would move eventually anyways."

"So you like the movie, Secretary, because you saw a couple who were truly devoted and loyal to each other, right?"

"Yes." _And?_ "And he never betrayed that trust. While he might of have his own insecurities, he did what he said, and always tried to care for her best interests. He cared for her physically and emotionally, knowing what she needed. After she realize she loved him, she was then willing to do the same for him. They had an amazing relationship, one I never seen before." My mother was so unstable when it came to men, I never saw a good relationship. I saw it in that movie. Christian looks at me like he understands. But I see in his eyes, he has a lot of questions. "I did some research on BDSM, and as long as the Dom doesn't abuse his power, it seems like Dom/sub relationships can last forever."

"I have heard of those long lasting relationships, but never seen them. Although looking back, Elena was keeping me on such a tight leash. I think made sure I never connected with a sub."

"Maybe you can connect with me."

"I don't want to hurt you."

"Maybe we can have a kinky sex relationship; something that works for us."

"If I can be blatantly honest." I am nervous what he is going to say. "You are inexperienced sexually. I am not saying you are not sexy. It is just…because of your past, you have not experienced a lot." I hate what he is saying is true. I don't know anything about sex, except for what Kate describes to me in her relationships and from the movies I watch. He had to teach me how to do a blowjob for goodness sakes. "I need to know why do you want to explore this different type of lifestyle. And it can't be because you want to be with me."

"Because…" I decide to sit up so I can look directly at Christian again. I want to show him how serious I am. "I am sick of being scared of being intimate. I want to try new things sexually with someone I trust. I see all the stuff in movies, and it kinda…turns me on." He smirks at the remark. "I want to try it."

"So you want to try for some kinky fuckery?"

"What?" I laugh at his statement. "What is kinky…. .y?" I say hesitantly.

"I like to think of it as some kinky sexy fun we can both have. Lots of orgasms." He says confidently.

"Then yes. We can see if it works for me, for us. We can write out a contract to see what we are willing to do and not do."

"You are quite the expert Ms. Steele."

"You know what I mean smartass."

"Language, please." I pinch Christian's nipple. "Ow! Unfair Anastasia, I am the one who hands out the punishments." Christian laughs. Then the room grows silent of our conversation, with the waves from outside being our only sound. I lay back down on his chest, cuddling in his side. Christian breaks the silence, "I will never push you into doing something you don't want."

"I know. I trust you."

"That trust means the world to me Ana."

As the light of dawn appears in our room, I realize we have been up all night. This is the longest we ever have talked. I look to Christian to tell him, but see he has fallen asleep. I lay content in his arms, ready to go to sleep, and suddenly I feel free, like the burden I have been carrying is…liter.

 _That is because Christian is helping you carry it._


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: This chapter is lite and fluffy. I wasn't going to do a morning after chapter, but it is a good way to show relationship development. Enjoy.**

 **Chapter 6:**

NOTE:

Ana,

Here are some clothes for you.

~Christian

 _Oh thank god!_ Under Christian's note is a folded white t-shirt and black shorts on top of the night stand next to the bed. This might be Mia's considering how short the pants are and tight the shirt is. I will have to make sure to get these clothes back to her cleaned as soon as I can.

I am really grateful I have something to wear besides last night dress. I am already feeling embarrassed doing the walk of shame at Christian's parent's house. _You cannot be shameful of what happened last night. That was fantastic._ Well, I am not ashamed of last night. I am actually thrilled and giddy. The way Christian made me feel last night was spectacular. It was everything I imagined and much more, and we didn't even have sex. _Can you imagine what sex is like with Mr. Superman?! I can't!_

I remove my sheet and clean up in the bathroom. I quickly get dress; or I least try to because I have to look around for my undergarments. Luckily and surprisingly they were placed neatly in the bathroom. I finish putting my clothes on and grab my dress, carefully folding it. I look at my reflection in the mirror and fix my hair as much as possible using my fingers as a comb. My hair is a wavy mess, but there is nothing I can do about it now. It is kind of sexy. _You keep thinking that._

Before I head downstairs to leave the boathouse, I look back to make sure the place is not too messy. Christian already cleaned up, so only the bed was messy. I made the bed before I leave. I look around at the room with pure joy. I had a fear of intimacy because of my devastating pass, but now I feel free from that fear. I know that I will remember this special place for the rest of my life. I finally left.

As I am walking in the backyard to the Grey's house, I look round at the beautiful sunny day. The light is reflecting perfectly off the seawater, which their house lays a few feet away from. I watch the cleanup crew putting the tables and chairs away and taking down the tent. Even a few of the men and women are whistling while they work. It is like everyone knows it is a great day. I wave at the workers, and they nod their head with a smile in return, as they carry the large round tables to the trucks parked on the side.

Once I reach the back door, I let myself in, but abruptly stop. My smile falls, and fiercely blush in embarrassment. I thought I was walking into the kitchen, but instead I am walking into the Grey's dining room. The entire Grey family and Kate are at the dining table eating….dinner? _What time is it?_ Christian immediately gets up and approaches me, giving me a quick kiss on the lips. He is looking handsome and relaxed in a grey t-shirt and navy blue jean pants. He is even barefoot. _He even has sexy feet._

"Good afternoon beautiful."

"Afternoon?" I asked shocked. "What time is it?"

He looks at his watch. "1:46 pm." I cover my face, completely mortified. I burry my face into his chest, apologizing to Christian. I can't believe I slept that long. _You did have a deliciously late night._

I turn to the Greys and Kate, and apologize profusely. "I am so sorry. I never sleep that late. I am usually up by 6! I should of gotten up earlier. I am really sorry for being so rude." But it is like I am talking to deaf ears. Grace and Mia looks delighted that I am here. Elliot and Kate gives me a look like they know why I slept in so late. Kate even winks at me. Carrick gets up from his seat and offers it to me.

"Please, have a seat. Have some lunch." Carrick offers.

"Oh no. I shouldn't. I don't want to keep you away from your weekend."

"Nonsense." Grace says. "Sit, let me get you something to eat." She stands up and heads to the kitchen. I sit in Carrick seat, as he starts to head out the dining room.

"I have some calls I have to make," he tells me. "It was lovely to meet you Anastasia." He offers his hand and I shake it.

"It was nice yo meet you too."

"I hope to be seeing you soon." He then looks at his son, and winks at him. I blush even more thinking that now his father knows what Christian and I were doing as well last night. Christian smirks back to his father.

I sit down at the dining table, as Grace places a plate of food in front of me. "The day after we host big events, we have the leftovers the next day. Mia and I like to remake some of the food into something new." The plate is covered with a medley of food. From sliders and mini quiches, to a variety of meats, vegetables and cheeses. "Lots of finger foods in general," Grace says as she sits at the other end of the table.

"Thank you so much. This looks so delicious." I respond.

"It's is like Christmas." Elliot says, rubbing his stomach.

"Our Christmas dinner is much better than this." Mia chastises.

"I loved your Christmas dinner last year. It was absolutely perfect. Best meal I ever had." Kate responds. Last year, Kate had Christmas dinner with the Greys, and I was so proud of her. It was a huge step for their relationship, particularly for Kate. She usually hangs out with her family or me, and she has some serious commitment issues because of her parents less than favorable relationship. But, she went with Elliot anyways.

"What do you want me to say, better than Thanksgiving?" Elliot asks.

"No! Thanksgiving is way better than this meal." Mia states emphatically.

"Ok, then what?" Elliot is actually sounding frustrated.

"Are you two really fighting over the best family meal in front of our quest?" Grace asks, looking at her children.

"I don't mind. I think it is amusing." I say. Christian chuckles at my response.

"Ok, let's rank the best meals of the year." Elliot says, smacking the table. "Christmas is definitely first." Elliot says.

"No way. Thanksgiving is the best." Christian makes his case.

"Ok, ok. Thanksgiving, then Christmas, then New Year's day." Mia counts down.

"Definitely agree. Then, leftover Coping Together Gala food. You can't beat five different desserts in one sitting."

"But I like Fourth of July and Birthdays." Mia whines a bit.

"Birthdays are pretty amazing. I remember for my 21st birthday, having five different homemade pizzas." Christian states fondly. I am looking around the table as the siblings have a friendly debate. Kate looks just as amused as I am with the way the siblings act. I found myself looking across the table at Grace. She is looking so fondly...at me? I am not sure why she looks the way she does, but I shrug, unsure how to respond with the argument and her gaze. I give a big smile back at her.

"Fine!" Elliot says in an exasperated tone. He begins to countdown the family meals, "First, we have Thanksgiving, second Christmas, third New Year's day, fourth Birthdays, not specifying anyone's birthday," he looks at his brother and sister for agreement and they both nod. "Good." He continues, "Fifth is Fourth of July, sixth is Easter, seventh Halloween, eight Cinco de Mayo," Elliot rolls his eyes at Mia for that suggestion, but she smugly smiles thinking she is right, " and lastly Coping Together Gala leftovers." Elliot huffs out the last of the definitive meal list. "We are all good with that?" Both Christian and Mia nod.

"I am glad you all can agree." Grace says sarcastically.

"It sounds like you have many family meals." I say, as I continue eating my lunch. I love these crab stuffed pastries. Is that blue crab I am tasting?

"We do." Grace responds proudly. "We have them on major holidays and once a month on Sunday. I make sure we have fantastic meals at all of them. Sometimes Mia helps make the meals as well. I love to cook, especially for my children." Grace continue to say, looking at Elliot and Mia. "They are even better when my children are here." She gives a somewhat sarcastic smile towards Christian.

"I know. I know. I am not here a lot, but I will make a better effort." Grace looks pleased by his response. "I enjoy the meals very much," he tells his mother. He then turns to me, "You will have to come to the house during the holidays. You would love our dinners." I like the idea of Christian planning for our future, even if it is short term.

I finish my lunch enjoying some more lite conversation with the Greys and Kate. Maybe I was wrong about people knowing what happened last night, everyone is acting normal, no innuendoes or jokes; just normal, fun conversation. I am really enjoying a relaxing afternoon.

As I am about to finish my meal, Christian stands to make an announcement, "Well, sorry to cut this afternoon short, but Ana and I have somewhere to be." Christian says. I am surprised by this because I did not know of any plans, but I go along with it anyways. I get up and grab my plate to put it in the kitchen to clean, but Grace comes around to my side of the table and takes the plate away from me.

"Don't worry about that dear." She puts the plate back on the table, and gives me a lovely side hug. She than whispers in my ear, "Thank you." When she releases me from the hug, I can see in her eyes that thanks means so many things. I feel too shy to respond back and give her another hug. I hug Kate and Elliot goodbye, as Christian puts his shoes on. We head out of the Grey's family home to Carricks car, a white Audi RS7 Christian will be borrowing for our afternoon out. There is an excellent chance Christian bought this car for his father considering his love for Audis.

As we are heading to the car, Elliot calls out for me, "Ana Banana, hold on!" I walk back to him at the front door, as Christian leans against the car. Elliot gets really close to me, and gently places his hand on top of my shoulder. He tells me seriously, "Make sure you get some rest tonight. You need to pace yourself. I would hate to hear that you choked again." He now has a smug look, winks and walks back inside. So Elliot does know we were fooling around. He must of heard us last night some how. Great! _But, what is he talking about with this choking?_ I turn around somewhat confuse and see Christian still leaning against his car, but he is shrugging, giving me a cheeky smile.

 _Christian told him!_

~oOo~

"Are we going on that helicopter ride you owe me?!"

"Nope." Christian is driving up to an airplane hangar. When we are at the security station, he shows his ID and we are let in with ease. The guard even acknowledge Christian as Mr. Grey.

I was so lost when Christian was driving. All I knew was we are outside of Seattle. We had a good drive, enjoying classic rock and hip hop ( _who knew he was a fan)_ , discussing business, and random fun things, like what is the best Pixar movie. _Toy Story 3 of course._ Of course. Christian's argument that the one scene at the end made him think of the holocaust made no sense.

During our conversation, I couldn't help but wonder where we were going. I saw a couple of small planes fly by, but I was so confused. Once I saw the airplane hangar exit sign, I knew this was for our helicopter ride. Well, at least I thought we were, until he said I was wrong. I have no clue what we are doing.

He parks the car, and we get out. I am following him, as we walk quietly through the airport. We reach a large hangar, and a young man is on his phone, leaning against a small jet. The moment Christian approaches him, the man ends his call immediately to return the greeting. They are quietly discussing something, and finally introduces me.

"Ana, this is Robert Schultz, our pilot. Mr Schultz, this is Ana, my girlfriend." I am taken aback by his girlfriend comment, but I do not argue. I don't want to deter his feelings for me, even though I am unsure what we exactly are. We both greet each other by shaking hands.

Christian looks towards me, "As much as I would like to cash out on the bet you won, I promised a night time helicopter ride. So we will have to wait. Until then, we are going gliding." _What the hell is gliding?_

"Gliding? What do you mean?" I don't want to sound dumb, but I really don't understand what we are about to do.

"We are going to go in this unpowered aircraft," he points to a small white plane that is behind the jet Robert was leaning on. I didn't even see that plane. "Mr. Schultz is going to take us up, and when we are at a good height, he will unhook that aircraft, so we can glide. I will take control from there."

I am stunned by what he wants us to do. _Unpowered!? What if something goes wrong? Can he un unpowered that 'flying' white tin can?_ I look at the glider, the jet, Robert and Christian a couple of times, unsure what to do. I never done anything like this. I realize my life is pretty shelter despite the drama my mother puts in it. I never done anything adventurous. But looking at Christian's confident face, I can't help but get excited and agree to go gliding.

"Ok, let's go!" _Well, it was nice being your inner voice. Maybe in my next life I can get someone sane._ I ignore my inner voice and follow Christian to the glider. He and Robert help me up into the glider. It is a bit of a climb and I slip a couple of times, but luckily do not fall. Once I am in my seat, Christian buckles me in. He checks and double checks that I am in securely. I smile at his kind gesture, knowing he wants me safe. He places our communicating headphones on my head, adjusting it to fit perfectly, and turns around to sit in the seat in front of me to buckle himself in. Robert closes the window of the glider and heads to the jet to start it up. Christian checks the door to make sure it is locked closed. I can start to feel the nerves climbing, but I push them down and try to enjoy myself.

We start moving as the jet starts moving out of the hangar. I start to giggle because of how nervous I am. "Are you alright sweetheart?" Christian asks.

"I am fine. No need to worry about me."

"Enjoy yourself Ana. I will make sure nothing will happen to you." I slowly calm down knowing he will do his best to keep us safe. As we are going faster, we slowly lift in the air, starting to fly. I can't help but squeeze my eyes. I feel the glider vibrating a little bit, not easing my nerves, but I slowly open my eyes after the few minutes.

We are up in the air, connected by a jet. This is amazing! I cautiously look around me. It is such a gorgeous sunny day, as we are flying through the blue sky and fluffy clouds. I am enjoying the view of the lake in the distance and the beautiful forested landscape that is below us. But my nerves come rushing back when Christian tells Robert to unhook us. And he does.

"Oh my god!" I scream out. Christian laughs at my nervous excitement. We are flying, I think. Is it still flying if there is no motor? I guess the appropriate term is gliding, of course. No longer is the glider vibrating. The ride is completely smooth and graceful. Christian has us weaving through the sky with absolute ease. I feel like a bird, since you do not have the sounds of the engine. There are even a few ducks flying next to the glider. It feels spectacular.

As Christian maneuvers us in the sky, we are starting to descend. I keep enjoying the view and the feeling of gliding as he does this. I even lift my arms above my head as much as I can, feeling the freedom of being in the sky. I am no longer scared.

Christian gracefully lands the plane back at the hangar. I am completely dazed as our gliding adventure comes to end. When we come to a stop, Robert comes running towards us. He opens the window, allowing Christian to get out. They then both help me out of the plane. When I am officially on the ground, I feel weak in the knees, but luckily Christian holds me up. I decide to hug him, since he has his arms wrapped around me.

"Thankyou. That was absolutely incredible." I whisper to him.

"I glad you enjoy it Ana." I look up to him trying to show him truly how much I enjoyed that ride. I was completely scared to do this, but I put my trust in him and he gave me an amazing experience in return, just like last night.

I want to show him my gratitude, but unsure how. I decide I can only do one thing. I pull him down to me and kiss him. I kiss him hard, but sweetly, and we are practically making out in the airfield. I put as much emotions I can into the kiss, and I think he returns it. This has been an amazing day, and it is not even over yet.

 _Thank god you are alive!_

~oOo~

"Are you ready Ana?" Christian asks. We are at GEH, specifically Christian's office getting ready for dinner. After our day gliding, Christian and I went back to GEH to do some work. Even though it is the weekend, we both had work to do. It was rather convenient because AMC offices take up two floors of GEH, the 20th and 21st. We parted ways to work at our separate offices for a few hours until 7:00 pm quickly came around. Christian called me, letting me know the dresses arrived.

That is right. Christian had a selection of dresses sent to his office for me to try on. _How he knew your dress size is amazing, but then find several dresses in that size, I am impressed._ I was unsure how to take his sweet and filthy rich gesture. I insisted I probably had a dress I could wear for dinner tonight at home, but he already had them sent and was going to give the dresses I didn't choose to a clothes charity. So, I accepted the gift anyways. He also bought me shoes. _So impressed._

"All done!" I say, as I come out of his private bathroom and spin in his office. I am wearing a lite pink flowy halter top dress. There is a beautiful sash wrap around my neck, which makes my spin more dramatic. I feel like a ballerina. As I spin, Christian is carefully checking me out, happy at what he sees. I spin right into him, and he catches me as I am giggling. "I love this dress."

"Well, you are absolutely stunning in this dress." Christian is looking sexy himself in a black suit and grey silk tie that matches his eyes. He is hugging me tightly, and I am enjoying the embrace. But I can't help but wonder what we are doing tonight.

"Soooooo, what are we doing!?" I am so eager to know what we are going to do, I can't help but want to jump up and down.

"If I am correct, I owe you a helicopter ride." I am so excited, I am now officially jumping up and down in his arms and hug him tighter. "I am going to take you on Charlie tango," _he named his helicopter, how cute,_ "and give you a brief tour of downtown Seattle. I am going to take you to the best restaurant in town, Canlis, where we are going to have our first date." _This is the best first date ever!_

"You sure know how to take a woman out on a date." I gleefully respond. Christian has a sudden change of mood. He lets me go and turns away from me. He is rubbing his head and seems nervous. "What's wrong?"

He shyly looks at me. "I never taken a woman on a date before." I look at him not surprised to be honest. Considering his lifestyle and his crazy work schedule, how could he take someone on a date? It is not like I can judge. I am not very experienced in dating either. "I want ours to be special." I walk towards him and grab his hands. I want our night to be special too.

"Well, you are making our first date very special." He gently kisses my cheek, and we walk out of his office hand in hand. His head of security, Taylor, walks with us, as we enter the elevator. We head up to the helicopter pad at the top of GEH. Once we are outside, I am surprise to see the helicopter was already up and running, as a pilot seem to have recently landed his helicopter, Charlie. The wind is blowing my dress, and I feel like Marilyn Monroe as I try to put my dress down. Christian seems to be pleased with the view.

Christian helps me into the helicopter, putting my seatbelt and headphones on. He double checks everything is secure again, and I keep staring at him, completely memorized. He gives me another peck on the lips.

He leaves to give instructions to Taylor, and Taylor leaves the helicopter pad, going back down the building I assume. Christian walks around the helicopter and greets the pilot. The pilot closes both the doors and leaves, waving to me goodbye. Christian replaces him as pilot. He is securely seated and going through his checks. He briefly winks at me, going back to preparing the helicopter to fly. I am not as nervous like earlier today. _At least this aircraft has an engine._ I always wanted to go on a helicopter ride.

"Ready sweetheart?" He asks through the radio. I nod my head quickly, too excited to say anything. He flips a few switches and we are off.

I grab the seat in excitement, as we are officially flying. I am looking out at the beautiful clear night sky. The lights of the buildings shine through the night sky lighting it up like Christmas lights. It is absolutely spectacular.

Christian is maneuvering through downtown Seattle, pointing out landmarks. He flies close to the Space Needle, amazed at how high we are. I look at him carefully as he pilots the helicopter. He is focused, but comfortable. He is able to look around him, while still concentrating on what is happening inside the helicopter. He talks to what I think is headquarters giving them messages on where he wants to fly and how far up. He is absolutely sexy, and I am completely turned on.

I thank Christian repeatedly, so gratefully for the helicopter ride, even if I won it on a bet. He told me we will be doing this again, considering he likes to fly for business trips in the area. I will have to remember that for any trips we have in Washington or Portland.

I continue to look outside the window. I am so overwhelmed. I feel a tear slide down my face. I quickly wipe it away, making sure Christian doesn't see me. I don't want Christian think something is wrong. I am just flabbergasted that right now, I am on a date, in a helicopter, touring downtown Seattle at night, with…my boyfriend. I can't imagine a better moment right now. I feel so loved right now.

~oOo~

"Tonight was perfect." I tell Christian, as I wrap myself around Christian in the elevator at my condo. He has his arm wrapped around me, squeezing me tightly.

After the helicopter ride, Taylor drove us to Canlis. We had a fantastic meal. The food looked more like art, as we enjoyed a four course contemporary northwestern meal. We had lite conversation, and Christian was constantly touching me, gently squeezing either my bare shoulders, caressing my knees or rubbing my inner thighs. I was getting wet with all the flirty touches. At the end of the dinner, Taylor drove us back to my condo. The whole night felt romantic. _And now, time to seduce him._

Once we are at my door, I ask him, "Would you like some coffee or tea, before you leave?" I ask, inviting him in my condo. I want to be casual, not obviously show him my want for him to stay over tonight

"As much as I want to take your offer, I shouldn't." I visibly look disappointed right now. He approaches me closer, so he is only matter of inches away from me. "I want nothing more and go into your condo and make you come tonight…again," he smugly says. I am feeling warm and tingling in my lower region, and it's taking over my body _._ "But, I want to take our relationship slow. It only seems right." He gives me a quick kiss on the lips, and takes a few steps back. I look at him dumfounded. "Good night Ana." He is about to turn away and leave, but I grab him by his arm.

"Now you want to take it slow?! Do you realize how long we have known each other?! How long we have been friends?!" He looks perplexed. "How amazing last night was?" I whisper that last part, as the memory rushes back. He gives me his classic sexy smirk. "We already have a good relationship. No need to take things slow." I take his hand and unlock my door. Once it is open, I look back. "You are absolutely coming over tonight."

I proceed to drag Christian in my condo, upstairs, to my bedroom, giving him only enough time to close and lock the door. I close my door once we are inside. "You are going to make me come tonight. And, I am going to make you come too." I quickly unzip and take off my dress. I toss it on to the sofa chair in my bedroom. I am just in my underwear, as I lay down on my bed, ready for him to take over. I am really nervous, hoping he doesn't think I am too forward or worst slutty. I think he won't have these thoughts, but I know other guys wouldn't like this. _Fuck other guys! You are with The Christian Grey!_

His shocked expression has disappeared, and all I see is lust. He circles my bed like a lion, seducing his prey. He drag his fingertips across the tops of my breast, and goosebumps slowly appear. I am squirming under Christian's touch and gaze.

"Take off your bra and panty Anastasia." Christian commands. I do, never leaving the bed. He takes off his silk grey tie, and kneels on my bed right next to my side. "I am going to tie your wrists. I promise you I won't hurt you or take this too far. Do you trust me Anastasia?"

"Yes." I breathlessly say, without hesitation, presenting my wrist to him. I am forced clench my thighs. I am so turn on, I need some type of friction to ease the hunger. Christian ties his tie around my wrist, in a detail knot, but it doesn't feel tight. He places my arms above me and tells me, "Don't move." I lie still on the bed, trying my hardest not to move. He bends my legs at the knees and spread my thighs wide. I am spread out for him, and my arousal is starting to overwhelm me. I feel like I need to orgasm, but I am unsure what to do with this new emotion.

He looks at me for a few seconds, licking his lips and quirking his head to get a better view. I quietly moan, even though he didn't touch me. "You are so sexy Anastasia." He touches my pussy, rubbing me ever so gently. "So very wet for me." I eagerly nod at him, even though I know he can feel how wet I am because of him.

He unbuttons his shirt, takes his shoes, socks and pants off in one swift motion. He is wearing his boxers, but his dick is begging to come out. He crawls up my body, and I arch my back in response, hoping he will touch me. But he ties me to my bed using the two ends of his tie. I am now securely placed on the bed, nowhere else to go. _And nowhere else we want to be._

He drags his hands down my arms, down my face, where I close my eyes. I kiss the palm of his hand in appreciation, and he caresses my cheek. He continues to scoot down my body, where he pauses to caress and squeeze my breast and pinch nipples. His touch is intoxicating, as I quietly moan over and over.

After a couple of minutes, he moves his hands from my breasts down my stomach, to my stretched out thighs. He squeezes and massages my inner thighs, gazing at where I want him the most. He luckily places both his thumbs on my pussy, rubbing my folds up and down, spreading my arousal. I arch my body up, feeling like I am going to come already. He takes one thumb, and rub my clit vigorously. He takes his other thumb and rub my folds gently. He takes two fingers and begins to thrust inside me. He is working me like he knows my body for years. Only a few strokes and I orgasm all around him.

He removes his hands as I try to calm down. I lay my legs down on the bed, leavinge me completely stretched. I feel so wonderfully out of breath, closing my eyes to relax through my orgasmic state. When my eyes slowly open, I see Christian is at my side again, but this time completely naked, with his erection near my mouth. I already know what he wants.

He commands, "Suck me Anastasia." And I do. I suck him and lick him enthusiastically. At this angle, I have a little trouble controlling my movements, but Christian gently grabs the back of my head and slowly thrusts himself in and out of my moth. He is close to hitting the back of my throat, but he never goes that deep He is using me to orgasm, and I am pleased I can do this for him. That I can make him feel the way he makes me feel. I look up at him, and he looks like he is in heaven. He is moaning every time I push my tongue against him and suck in my cheeks, so I keep doing that action as much as I can.

"I am going to come Ana." He says breathlessly. I am a little nervous, but try to ready myself for his come. Instead, he removes himself from my mouth, stroke himself a couple of times and comes all over my chest. He moans through his orgasm, and I feel pleased with myself. He collapses right next to me, somewhat out of breath, but thoroughly content.

I look over his beautiful face. He has his eyes closed, as he is relaxing in my bed. He looks so sexy when he looks like he doesn't have a care in the world. He is so handsome right now.

If I am honest with myself, I want to say 'I love you' to him right now, but I dare not release those emotions. _You better not. Don't be a clingy freak, who can't handle an orgasm._ The last thing I want to do is scare him away. So I smile at him, with love in my eyes. He turns to me, returning a sexy smile. He leans over me and kisses me thoroughly. I am starting to get turned on again with the way he is kissing me, and I can't help but whimper. His kisses are orgasmic. _You should bet him that he can't get you off just by kissing._ Maybe another time.

Christian abruptly pulls away, curiously looking at me. "You want another orgasm, don't you?" He asks. I am too shy to say anything, so I mouth 'yes'. "I do aim to please."

And he did. _Two. More. Times. Sex god!_


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I am going to upload a couple of chapters now, so I can write some more this weekend. Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 7:**

 **A few months later**

"I don't think I am going to be able to hold all this," I tell Kate, ready to collapse. Kate and I are out shopping at Neiman Marcus, looking for a completely new wardrobe. _It is about time!_ I have a stack of clothes in my arms that Kate keep tossing over to me to try on later. Any minute now, I will topple over.

"Oops." Kate says quickly turning around to see the mountain of clothes in my hands. She grabs some clothes out of my hands, helping me a little, but we still have way too much clothes. "Let me get Caroline to help us." Caroline Acton is our personal shopper for this long Friday afternoon of shopping. After work, Kate and I planned to go shopping and have been shopping for over two hours now. I am exhausted. Kate insist we need to first figure out my style before making any purchases. "Here she is."

"Oh I am sorry Ms. Steele, Ms. Kavanagh. Let me take those for you and put them in your dressing room." Carline took the clothes from my tired arms and took the rest of the clothes from Kate. She walks to the private changing rooms, to setup my potential. I am surprised she didn't need to take two trips.

"So, do you think we might of gotten too many clothes?" I ask again, amazed that I have so much I need to try on.

"Ana," Kate says as she gently takes my shoulders into her hands and look at me dead in the eyes. "You are the owner of a successful company that is across the west coast and now entering the east coast." _True._ "It is not even about looking the part. It is about the fact that you have grown into a different woman, a mature business woman, who now needs a wardrobe to reflect that." _Very true._ "You are a much more confident person now, and you need to look like it." I do need to get out of my catering/chef, black pants and white top wardrobe and look more like the owner of a successful company.

We have expanded more in California, and a new movie theater opened in Las Vegas. What I am most proud of is the new AMC in Colorado. I think it has been easier to open up in the bigger cities, because there are so many possible customers, who are looking for the cool new place. But opening in a smaller market really shows whether we can expand nationally.

A couple who managed an independent theater in Denver, Colorado contacted us about updating their own theater to be an AMC. They went to one in Portland when they were visiting family, and loved the experience. They have a good customer base, but they needed an upgrade to their theater system, which is where we come in. They currently can't show many of the big blockbusters, because they don't have the updated technology to do it.

Everyone seemed to be against the idea, especially Christian. Christian thought it was a bad investment to open a site in a smaller market and virtually spend money updating an old theater for someone else. He thought it was a waste of money, but I disagreed. It was our first major business disagreement.

I thought this was the time to see if expanding AMC nationally will be worth it. This is the type of people who would be opening AMC franchises, and this will be a great test, since the owners already knew how to manage a movie theater. I don't want to have an AMC open in every city in America, but if we can't have a successful AMC in a popular city like Denver, we can forget about expanding anywhere else.

One great part of being the majority owner is I have the final say. Now, AMC Denver has officially been open for a for a couple of months now. The process wasn't as difficult as we thought; we didn't need to redecorate, since they already had a classic theater design. We only had to do some upgrades to the kitchen, and a complete upgrade to their projection and sound system. AMC Denver have been doing well, with a consistent increase of customers every month. The owners received a lot of positive feedback with the new theater as well. I am glad I went with my gut for that location.

We are now about to enter New York City, easily the most toughest market in the country. Kate and I will be heading to New York Saturday evening to look at a potential theater that was recently closed because the owners could not manage the theater in the competitive market. They spent way too much money on updating, but none in marketing and making deals with studios to show their movies the weekend they are released.

Christian and the head of research and development, Bobby Richards, briefly looked at the site during one of his business trips at New York. He said there is a lot of potential, but unsure if the kitchen was AMC capable. It was very basic, and he doesn't know investing in a full kitchen would be worth our time and money.

Kate and I thought of a plan to use the food resources in New York to produce AMC quality food, instead of making everything at the theater, typically what many of the theaters do. Maybe even partnering with a vendor, something we have not looked into yet. We wouldn't need a full kitchen to do that, but we are not sure, unless we actually go to the site and see if we could make several meals a day there.

I wouldn't feel very confident with my current clothes, walking around in New York. I almost don't feel comfortable in Seattle with my clothes. I am proud of what we have done, I should look like it now.

"You are right, I just hope I won't pass out by the end of the day. Remember, I have a date." I smile with a full tooth grin at Kate.

"Oh, I know. Every time you and Christian have a date, you tell me." Christian and I have been dating for a few months now. We even had group dates with Kate and Elliot. Sometimes even with Mia and whoever she is dating that month. Those dates can be awkward, when Christian is aggressively staring at Mia's date, like he can make him disappear at any moment. I like to think I calm him down a little bit, reminding him that Mia will not get hurt by her date, as long as he is around to gently protect her. It seemed to help.

We had many private dates at my apartment, where I cook for him and we talk about our day, usually ending with a movie and then some fun sexy time in the bedroom. He hasn't stayed over the night, fearing his nightmares of his childhood will scare or hurt me. I try to convince him I will be ok, and nothing will scare me, but he is convinced he will hurt me if he sleeps over. So after I fall asleep, he quietly leaves. One night, I tried to stay up all night, so he would stay with me, but I get so tired after a long day of work. I still fell asleep. It is something we are still working through.

I have yet to go to Christian's home, which was kind of weird, but I understood why. He says he has been remodeling these past few months, but considering he has a sex room, I am pretty sure he is waiting to introduce it to me. He doesn't want to push me, especially with my past, but I don't want to wait anymore. I am ready.

And tonight, he asked me out to dinner at his home. _You finally get to see the sex room._ I sure do.

Kate our in a private changing room, getting ready to try on clothes. I am feeling nervous about tonight, unsure what I should wear to seduce Christian. I tell Kate, "I only tell you about our dates because I never know what to wear and have to borrow your clothes."

"I will say, it was getting weird you were wearing the dress I wore a few dates ago with Elliot. I think Elliot was starting to get dirty ideas about us dressing each other." I laugh at her comment, but I bet Elliot had dirty thoughts. "Well that ends now. So come on, let's look for some sexy dresses." Kate and I go back out to look through the dresses. Kate and I pull out some sexy dresses to add to the pile. I want to look especially sexy tonight. We are finally ready to try on some clothes.

~oOo~

"So, Ms. Ana, I think your style is a casual easy to wear, but professional." I am standing in my final outfit in front of a full length mirror as Kate gives me more advice. I am in a white long sleeve dress that goes past my knee. I have a brown belt that fits well with my curves. I am even wearing big brown sunglasses that make me look like a model or movie star. "This is perfect." I have to agree.

"I love it Kate. I knew you would be perfect to help me." Kate has a natural, but edgy style. Her family is known to be well polished and expensive when it comes to their outfits, but Kate always looks like the black sheep. And even today, she wears a grey tank top and dark skinny jeans with several turquoise jewelry that makes her instantly look like a rock star. She was someone who I would want to look like, but now I feel like I have my own style.

"You have a killer body Ana, anything looks good on you." We tried on so many clothes, but I ended up with several skirts, shorts, dresses, pants and business suits. I found to like some pattern clothes, but simple colors worked best with me. I even bought a purple lingerie set I hope to show Christian soon. I love my wardrobe.

"You're ready to go Ms. Ana?" I am standing in the mirror not wanting to leave. Now I hate the idea of returning back into my white collar polo shirt and black slacks. Almost as if Kate is reading my mind, Kate says, "Don't worry, you will be in your new clothes for your date night in no time. We just have to pay for them first. I am not getting arrested today." I laugh at her remarks and head to the changing room.

"Allright, I will change." I am back to my old clothes. We have Caroline take my clothes to the register. I am so ready for tonight. _Me too. Sex night!_

"So, for tonight…do you have any questions... for me?" Kate asks while Caroline is ringing up my orders. She seems so hesitant; I never seen her like this.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, with your plans tonight. Do you have any questions…advice for…tonight, sexy time?" Oh! _Ohhhh! Yes, absolutely. Tons!_

"I do, but they are kind of weird. Do you have time to come back to my apartment to talk?" Kate knows a lot about my past. I eventually told her everything, after realizing I was unable to talk to Kate about dating and her sex life. I couldn't really comment when I had such terrible experiences.

I hope Kate can help a little. Even though Christian and I's oral sex life has been amazing, the fact that Christian had to teach me how to do a blowjob was a bit embarrassing. He seemed to not mind telling me what he likes, but I wish I knew more. I don't want to disappoint him.

"Of course. I am going to Elliot's place late tonight. So I have time. I can help you with some of mine best sex moves." Kate says with a flirty wink.

"Thanks, although I don't know I need full on step by step directions-"

"I highly fucking doubt that." I cannot believe that I was rudely interrupted by _Elena Fucking Lincoln!_ She walked into our conversation in her tight purple dress ( _more appropriate for a club then an afternoon out shopping_ ) right behind us in line with a young boy toy at her side. Although he has a ragged beard, and rugged hair, he is wearing a much too tight kid shirt and much too big pants and boots. He looks like he is in his early 20s. _Hopefully._

Kate and I turn around abruptly hearing the rude comments. Even Caroline looks up from her work with a shocked look. She dare not say anything though. "And who the fuck are you?" Kate says with no shame.

"I am Elena Lincoln, a family friend of the Greys. You should know considering you are dating Elliot Grey."

"You know what, he did mention you. He mentioned how a creepy lady, who was a friend of his mother, tried to come on to him when he was 16. I am sorry for not recognizing you. He said you reminded him of Mrs. Robinson, from that movie, The Graduate, but I was imagining you would look like the exquisite Anne Bancroft, not Cruella De Ville." Oh. My. God! I can't believe Kate said that. I talked about some stuff in regards to Elena, but not too much. But, it is crazy that her and Elliot had similar thoughts to me. _Wait a minute, she tried to seduce Elliot. Does Christian know?_

"I don't know what the fuck you are talking about, but I am going to take that as a compliment."

"That is good you are so oblivious, because that was definitely not a compliment." I better end this before Kate really is going to get arrested.

"Elena! Could you please leave us alone? We are almost done here." I responds with a respectful tone. _Don't you give her respect when she has shown you none._

She slowly smiles, giving me an annoying amused look. "You really think you could be with Christian Grey, don't you?" _Let me at her Ana._ "You think getting new clothes and trying to look pretty will actually keep him." _Please let me at her._ "Do you even know what a penis looks like?" Carline dropped the hangers that were set aside on the cash register after that comment. "I doubt that."

And suddenly, Elena admits something that should be kept as a secret, "Christian fucks like a god. I know, because I taught him, and you will never be able to please him little. girl." She should've never said something so private here. How dumb can she be. I couldn't believe it. Kate looks absolutely dumbfounded. Her boy toy just looks dumb. I even see a few people around us, who may or may have heard her. And poor Caroline has stopped any of her work staring at us. I feel and probably look absolutely sadden about what Elena has done. _Please, PLEASE, let me at her!_ Go right ahead, and I let my inner thoughts free.

"How dare you say something so private out loud. Do you have no respect? Obviously not for yourself; it shows in the outfit you are wearing. But I would at least think you would show some respect to Christian." It is starting to click in Elena's head what she had done. "I would never, ever reveal my personal life out in public."

"Christian has no problem with the things I do. You know nothing about our…friendship." Elena is no longer sounding confident as she did arguing with Kate.

"That is where you are wrong. Christian would never want you to say anything like that. Maybe that is the problem; you know nothing about the man he is now." Elena is about to say something, but my inner thoughts don't stop. "I may not be as experienced as you. I may not know how to…fuck. But you are wrong about us. And I would tell you how wrong you are about us, but I would never betray his trust. I actually love him. Unlike you." Elena looks absolutely defeated. _Who else has Elana bragged to about her and Christian?_ Who knows. It is pathetic. "You are pathetic." Thank you Anastasia. I turn around to finish checking out to get out of here. Kate follows my lead.

"Are you finished Carline?"

"Yes Ms. Steele. I will have my assistant meet you at your car to load up your purchases." Carline responds, packing up the last of my clothes.

"How much do I owe you?"

"Mr. Grey has taken care of your purchases for today. He told me to let you know, he owed you for the Denver deal?" Christian would. I take the gift.

"Thank you Caroline." Kate and I turn around to walk out the store, walking pass Elena like she doesn't even exist. _And she doesn't._

"Ana, wait." Elena says, trying to stop us. Kate and I stop, and we look at each other. I am too curious to walk away and Kate knows it.

"What do want Elena? And you better be quick; we don't have all day."

"Considering you keep your life private; I would hope you would keep our conversation private as well."

"REALLY?!" Kate practically yells out.

"Kate, please." I demand of Kate, hoping she won't say any more. Kate looks at me, literally biting her tongue. "Elena, I owe you nothing. No way in hell I am lying for you. Good bye."

Kate walks away from Elena shocked and angry face. I don't care what she thinks. I am not going to lie to Christian for her. We have been honest with each other thus far, even though it hurts sometimes.

We reach my beautiful new Estoril blue Audi s7 in the store's parking lot, a purchase I made in celebration of our successful opening of AMC San Francisco, and a car Christian helped me choose. Caroline's assistant meet us with my purchases hung on a rolling cart. I open the trunk and back seat, and he begins loading up my car with my new purchases.

I finally look at Kate, who is on the other side of the car ready to get in, but also she is staring at me, with a very pleased look. "What?"

"Nothing, I am just liking this new Ana. We should go shopping more often."

"It wasn't the shopping, it was just…she made me so mad how disrespectful she was."

"I know, and you handled it like a pro." I smile a little bit at that comment.

When my purchases are loaded up, I tip the assistant for his help and get ready to leave. As I drive off in my car with Kate in the passenger seat, I just realized something I said, "Kate, did I say I love Christian?"

"Yes, yes you did…and it sounded like you meant it."

"I did."

~oOo~

Kate and I are finally back to my apartment. I am glad to be back here after such a tiring day.

The best way to describe my apartment is different. I lived here once we opened the first AMC in Seattle. It was the only way to manage the site, when we first opened. My apartment has a somewhat of a loft style setup. It has a large kitchen open to the living room, and my office and bedroom is upstairs, opening up to the lower level. It is very comfortable.

The big problem with my apartment is the building is not very safe. Some apartments are rented out as offices, allowing people to come in and out throughout the day. Originally my apartment was my office, but I couldn't afford to rent another place at the time, so I turned the upstairs into a bedroom.

Kate and I go upstairs with all my clothes putting everything on my bed. "Everything should be easy to put away considering my closet is empty. I never had anything I needed to hang up really." Kate is looking at me like I am crazy.

"Fuck closet space! What the hell just happened?! Who the fuck does Elena think she is?! What was she talking about with teaching Christian how to have sex?! What is going on?!" Kate says completely exasperated, collapsing on my bed on top of my clothes.

I laugh at the way she is barraging me. "Kate, first, calm down. Second, I will not explain any of the stuff she said about Christian. It is not my story to tell."

"Fine. That makes sense. And I won't tell Elliot either. No need to gossip family business."

I already know I can trust Kate not to say anything about what happened today. "Thank you Kate. I really appreciate that. Lastly, I hate that woman. She is nothing but trouble, and you should watch out for her." Kate shakes her head, completely agreeing with you. "She says she is friends with Grace, but it is obvious she is lying and manipulating Grace."

"I can't believe she said that. And Grace knows nothing. She should know what a crazy bitch she is." Grace should, but it is not place at all. "What are you going to do Ana?"

I end up sitting next to Kate, returning her worried look. "I am going to tell Christian tonight. He has to now the things she is saying about him behind his back." Kate nods her head in agreement once again. "And I am going to let him decide."

"It is up to you how you should handle this, but I really think you should convince Christian to tell his family. If she is willing to say all that in a clothes store open to the public, who knows what she is saying in private." Kate is right, I have to convince him to at least say something to his parents. I just don't know how to do that.

~oOo~

I am relaxing comfortably in my bathtub thinking about tonight.

Kate helped me organize my closet with all my new clothes. We also talked about some things I could do tonight for our first time. Kate can tell Christian is a direct man, so she told me I should let him take control of our first time, but every so often tell him how he is making me feel. I should also use my hands to encourage him to continue to do the things I like the most. I know I will feel shy doing this, but I am going to do my best anyways.

During my bath, I also made sure to shave everything, and I mean EVERYTHING. At first, I didn't want to do it, thinking Christian seems to like how I am. But Kate told me it will increase some of the sensations being bare down there. I will give it a try.

I finish my bath, ready to get dress for tonight. I decide to wear my tight tank top black dress with thick straps. The dress has a square neckline, and it goes past my knees, but it has a wide side slit that makes it very sexy. It shows off my legs perfectly. I pin back my hair into a loose messy pony tail. I look like I didn't put too much effort, but still very sexy. I put on some lite makeup with red lipstick. I finish off with a pair of strappy heels.

While I am packing my overnight bag, I think about what to say to Christian in regards to Elena. I am going to tell him tonight. I don't want to wait too long, and with our trip to New York, the next best time would be a week or two later. I just hope it doesn't damper my plans. _It will only make him trust you more._

I am ready to go, so I grab my purse and head downstairs to my car. I told Christian I would be ready around 6 pm, but he had a late meeting. He felt bad, but he is running a large company. I cannot expect him to drop everything for a date. Plus, he knows I am going to want to spend the night. So we have all night. I told him not to worry, and he text me his access codes to his parking garage and penthouse. I am excited he was willing to give me his home information so easily.

It doesn't take too long to get to Escala; he is only fifteen minutes away from my home. His building is a large complex in downtown Seattle, not too far away from the Space Needle. It is beautiful and epic place. I am not surprised at all that he lives here. I only dreamt about living in an amazing Seattle condominium like this. I do like my condo, but it does feel like an office.

I drive into the garage, and enter in the access code. I wait for the garage door to open, and then drive in. I drive to Christian's designate parking spot, and grab everything I need for tonight. As I get ready, I suddenly stop in my tracks seeing a young man next to my car. It is the same man from the clothes store from today; the one who was with Elena, and he has a baseball bat.

"May I help you?" I say cautiously, hoping someone sees him approaching me.

"Get away from the car." He quietly demands of me.

"This is my car! What you want?!"

"For you to get away from my car?"

"This is not your-"

"GET AWAY FROM MY CAR!" I immediately walk away from my car. I want to say something, but it is too late. He takes the bat and hit the back of my window, completely smashing it. I cannot believe what is happening right now. I run to the corner of the garage, next to the elevators. I look around to see the cameras in the parking garage, but I don't see anyone coming to stop him. At this point, he smashed my back window, caving in, with glass broken inside. I grab my phone, but for some reason, I don't call the cops. I never felt good about cops. Cops can be deceived.

I call Taylor instead. "Taylor! Please! I need your help!" When I began traveling to see sites, I was given Taylor his direct phone line. With recent shootings at public locations, especially the one at the theater a few years ago, we take extra precautions at all our theaters, actually have security guards at our locations. It is an extra expense, but we do not want a shooting or any violence to occur at one of our sites. So Taylor became our security advisor, hiring and advising the best security personnel. I call him anytime I have questions on security, especially on my reviews. We have become friendly, especially since he finally calls me by my first name, instead of calling me 'Ms. Steele'.

"What is wrong Ana?" Taylor sounds calm, but I can hear him moving around frantically, probably getting ready for whatever I need.

"I am at the Escala parking garage, and a young man is smashing my car with his baseball bat! I don't know what to do, so I called you." At this point, the young man has moved to my front window, practically smashing it into pieces.

"Call the police. I will be there in 5 minutes. There is no Escala security?"

"No! No one!" Taylor growls unapprovingly in the phone.

"Call the police Ana. I will be there." After Taylor hung up, I called the cops telling them what is happening and describe the man. I was told someone is on their way. I asked the dispatcher how long it will take, but I just get 'soon'. They then hang up.

 _This is fucking crazy! What if he comes after you!_ It is too late.

"Anastasia. Come here."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8:**

After smashing the windows of my car, he suddenly turns, looking around, probably for me. I quickly go to the elevators, pressing the up button desperately, willing the elevator to open up.

"Anastasia! Come here!" He yells. How the hell does he know my name. _That bitch troll must of told him. Let's get out of here before nut job takes the bat to you._

"Come here, Anastasia!" He is standing there demanding me to go to him. Like I am actually going to walk to my death. The elevator finally opens, and I get in, but the young man starts to run towards me. "COME BACK HERE!"

I am trying to get out of here, until I hear a car driving fiercely into the garage. It is a black Audi SUV, and the driver rushes right in front of the young man, almost hitting him. _Taylor!_ He jumps out of the car and takes down the young man with a fierce tackle that would make a football player shudder. Taylor restrains the man using a zip tag to tie his hands behind his back. Taylor has a knee on his back, keeping him securely on the ground. The scary part is the young man doesn't say anything, almost completely relaxed.

"Ana!?" Taylor calls out. I rush out the elevator and over to Taylor. He sees me and quickly asks, "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, now that you are here. Are you ok?"

"I am fine. Did you call the police?"

"Yes, they are on their way, but I don't know when." I nervously say, frantically looking around, unsure whether to let Taylor know about how I know this man. He should know before the cops come in. He can help me figure out how I can handle this situation. "Taylor, can I speak to you real quick before they come?"

"Of course Ana." He gets up off the man, pressing his knee in his back harshly. The young man doesn't even groan in pain. "Do not move." He says in a quite intimidating voice. He zip ties his ankles together as well, making it impossible to run away. He walks over back to the elevators, never looking away from the man. I follow him, staring at the man as well. Once we reach the elevator, he asks me with a calmness to his voice, "What is wrong?"

"I saw that man earlier, at the clothes store, with…Elena Lincoln." I spit out quickly. "What should I do? Should I tell the cops about this?" Taylor turns to me unsure what to say. He looks back at the man, starring daggers at him. He contemplates his answer thoughtfully, but once we hear sirens nearby, Taylor quickly makes his decision.

"Only tell them what you saw in the parking garage. If they ask if you ever seen him before, tell them you are not sure. Let the police take care of this guy. We will handle the rest." I take his advice, and not say anything more than necessary.

The police park next to Taylor's car and begin to access the situation. The two cops grab the man off the ground, and drag him to the car. He does not say anything, bowing his head and pointing his eyes to the ground. One cop approaches me, introducing himself and begins to ask me questions about what happen. I quickly realize, the second cop is talking to Taylor near his SUV, virtually separating us. I tell him everything that happened, exactly how I saw it.

"And Ms. Steele, do you know why he damaged your car?" The cop asks, taking notes while I recall what happened.

"I do not know." I said mostly honestly. "I was here to see my boyfriend, and he came out of nowhere." Which is completely true.

"Ok Ms. Steele. We will be in contact with you about charging the assailant. Here is my card if you have any questions." I take his card, and the cop goes back into his car. As they drive away, the strange man is staring blankly at me. I don't understand him at all. I realize I am desperately grabbing my purse and night bag hanging on my shoulders, so I decide to relax. It is finally over.

 _For now._

~oOo~

"Yes Mr. Grey. Of course Mr. Grey." Taylor and I are still standing in the parking garage. Taylor called Christian, and it sounds like he is getting chewed out. I can hear him through the phone. Taylor remains calm though.

The call is over, and I am surprised Christian didn't want to talk to me. He probably still busy with his meeting. "I hope you didn't get in trouble." I cautiously say, while we head towards the elevator.

"Of course not Ana. But, I don't think the security at Escala will be having a job by the end of the day." Taylor informs me. We enter the elevator and Taylor enters the code for the penthouse.

"I guess they should of came."

"You should not of been alone Ana."

"But you came." _Thank god. We would have been left bloody in a parking garage otherwise._ "Thank you Taylor." I whisper, trying not to cry.

"Of course Ana, you can call me anytime." I wipe away any tears before they fall. The doors slowly open to the penthouse. Taylor turns to me before I see Christian's home. "But I think it will be necessary for you to have your own personal security."

"I think you are right." I would normally argue about needing security, but after tonight, I really want to be safe. I don't know what Elena is willing to do. And there is also Stephen Morton. I haven't told Christian yet, but next year, he should be released from prison. He served his time, and he will be registered as a sex offender. I will have to tell Christian, but that is another day.

"I will have one of my best men start before you go to New York." Taylor says, as we walk into Christian penthouse. I am trying to pay attention, but I am too mesmerized by Christian's home. "I will let you and Christian know tomorrow."

"Uh huh." Taylor can do whatever because at this point I am absolutely astonished by Christian's penthouse. I stare, mouth open, at the living room with floor to very high ceiling windows that provide the best view of Downtown Seattle I have ever seen. He has wooden floors throughout the penthouse, but in the living room, a large cozy looking rug covers the floor. There is a long couch that I want to snuggle myself into. There are also two large comfy chairs, with a large ottoman and glass coffee table. Hanging in the living room is a modern silver chandelier that looks like it was specifically made for this home. There also looks to be a movie screen that can be lowered in front of the windows, but I am not sure since it is not down. In one corner, near the windows, there is a beautiful black grand piano. I know Christian plays. I hope he shows me one night.

"Ms. Steele?" I didn't realize Taylor was talking to me, but he is offering his hand trying to take my bags.

"Oh, I am sorry." I give him my bags, still staring out to the living room.

"I will put these in Mr. Grey's bedroom. If you need anything, Ms. Jones is currently making dinner in the kitchen."

I finally turn to Taylor, realizing he is not staying. "Are you going somewhere?" I ask nervously, all of sudden feeling unsafe.

"Yes Ana. I will be heading back to GEH." I suddenly feel scared. "No need to worry. No one will be allowed to come into the penthouse. Reynolds, the personal security guard for the house, will be guarding you and Ms. Jones. You can call him on this phone if you need him." He points to a phone attached to the wall in the hallway. "Ms. Jones will also know how to contact him if necessary." I see a older beautiful blonde hair woman walk in from the hallway. Taylor turns to introduce her. "This is Ms. Gail Jones, the house manager." I go to walk to her, to shake her hand, but first, I take off my heals. Gale looks at me with an amused smirk.

"Sorry, I don't want to mess up the floor. And I am Ana Steele." I say as I am shaking her hand. "It is nice to meet you."

She has such a genuine smile, I can't help but return it. "It is lovely to meet you Ms. Steele. I have heard many good things from Mr. Grey."

"Really? And please, call me Ana." Gale looks towards Taylor, who shakes his head in agreement. "Taylor knows, I will not answer any other way."

"Of course…Ana."

"I will take your bags to the bedroom now." Taylor walks up the stairs to the bedroom.

"Please Ana, make yourself comfortable." Gale says showing me to the living room. "Mr. Grey wanted to make sure you feel at home."

"I am sorry to be hesitant. The apartment is just so incredible, I can't help but want to explore."

"Mr. Grey has been renovating this place with Mr. Elliot Grey for several months now."

"Really? Why?"

"Oh…well…you should ask him. I remember him saying he wanted to make it more… comfortable; more like a home." I can't even imagine what the place looked like before. It is so amazing now. "He even renovated Taylor and I's apartment."

"Apartment? Do you share one?"

"Oh, yes…we…do. Taylor and I are together, but I promise you, we keep it professional."

"How cute." I can't help but be happy. I didn't know Taylor was with anyone, but he deserves happiness. "You do not have to worry about being professional with me. I am pretty sure Christian wants you to be professional, so you should obviously listen to him. But don't feel the need to do that around me." She nods her head in agreement.

"I will be getting back to dinner. Do you need anything Ana?"

"No, I am good, but can I see the kitchen?"

"Of course." I am ready to walk into the kitchen behind Gale, but my phone rings. I take it out of my purse, and check the caller id. It is Christian.

"I have to take this Gale. It's Christian."

"Of course, I will be in the kitchen cooking dinner." She walks back into the answer my phone.

"Christian! I LOVE YOUR PLACE! IT. IS. AMAZING!"

"Ana,… wait, what?"

"I am in your home, and it is absolutely incredible! Just so you know, I am going to explore this place. First the kitchen because I bet it is a chef's dream!"

"So...you are ok?"

"Yes of course. Why?" Then I remembered what just happened. "Oh, yes Christian, I am ok. Taylor practically saved me. But I am ok."

"What happened? Who did this? Are you really ok?" Christian barrage me with questions, concern filled in his voice.

"I am really ok, more than ok Christian, now that I am in your amazing home. Please calm down." He takes a breath, sounding relieved at the moment. "I will tell you everything when you get here, but I do think Elena is behind this."

"Why would you think that?"

"I saw her earlier today at Neiman Marcus, when Kate and I were shopping. We had an…altercation."

"Did she say something to you?"

"It was what she said about you. It made me so angry! I had to say something."

"Ana, you don't have to defend me when it comes to her."

"Christian, you don't understand, the things she was saying was an actual betrayal towards you. She is nothing but trouble."

"What did she say?" I don't want to tell him over the phone, but I know it will be driving him crazy if I don't tell him something.

"I will tell you the whole story when you get here, but she said she taught you how to have sex, or specifically, fuck like a god."

"Fuck, Fuck! Fuck! FUCK!" Christian is yelling through the phone. I have to briefly move the phone away from my ears because he is cursing so loud. "She said that in the store?!" I shake my head acting like he can see me. "I swear to god the moment I see her, I am going to choke the shit out of her."

"Christian, please calm down. I promise, I will tell you everything when you get here."

"Ok Ana. I am sorry-"

"Don't apologize for her, ever!" This is not Christian's fault. "Just finish work, and come home."

"I will sweetheart. I should be done in a half an hour."

"Take your time, I plan to explore your penthouse." I giggle at my excitement to be in such a fantastic house.

"Of course, you can go wherever you want." I smile at his trust for letting me explore his home. "And Ana?"

"Yes?"

"The code for the playroom is 823996. I would like you to take a look when you get a chance."

"I will think about it," I say, absolutely shocked by his words. He wants me to look at his playroom, to hopefully use it.

"Is something wrong Ana?"

"No, I just don't think I am ready to see it without you."

"Why not?" He gently ask.

"I know I am going to have a hundred questions, and I don't want to freak out, getting the wrong impression of the room. I want you to be there, helping me understand along the way." I finally admit why I am really hesitant to see the playroom. "I am still new at all this christian"

"I know. I am sorry to push you, but if you want to look at the room, you can. I want to be open to you."

"I know, and thank you for that."

"I will see you tonight, soon. Make yourself comfortable."

"I will. See you soon." We end our phone call after that. _Should you actually see the playroom? I don't think so. I don't want you go running off because you see something weird, like whips and chains._ No way. I want Christian by my side through all of this. So I wait. Until then, _let's explore the penthouse/billionaire man castle!_

I first go into the kitchen to meet with Gale. The design of the kitchen is black cabinets with white granite countertops. The kitchen is fully stocked for a professional chef, with multiple ovens, extra-large stove top and refrigerator, and large island that seats at least four people comfortably. "You must be an amazing chef if you get to work at a kitchen like this." I tell Gale, as I sit at the island.

"I don't think I am, but I do love to cook, and Mr. Grey likes to make sure I have everything I need to prepare meals." Gale goes to the oven to take out an absolutely delicious chicken roast. "You are a chef though, correct?"

"Yes I am. I create the menus for my company. I love to cook. I went to Le Cordon Bleu Seattle to learn."

"Where did you get your love from?" Gale asks, as she begins to mash the roasted potatoes for dinner.

"To be honest, from my mother, who was a terrible cook. She basically cooked frozen meals or bought fast food. She did date a chef for a few months, where he showed me how to make some basic food. But otherwise, I never really had any inspiration. I just wanted to eat good food."

Gale nods her head in understandment, as she is seasoning the mashed potatoes. "Your mother must be so proud of you. Taylor and I went to AMC for a date night, and we absolutely loved it. I loved your Mozzarella grilled cheese sandwich and traditional cobb salad. It was absolutely perfect. Taylor promises me we are going to go again when you all get back from New York."

"Thank you. I am glad you enjoyed your experience." I don't respond to Gale's comments about my mother. I rarely talk to her. I definitely don't call her because our conversations are one sided, only talking about herself, and it feels like she sucks the life out of me. She only calls me when something bad happens. I don't need to think about her, I don't really consider her family anyways. "I am going to look around now."

"Ok Ana, let me know if you need anything."

"I will, thanks Gale." I walk out of the kitchen, kind of sadden, thinking about my mother. But I don't want to think about her; not when I am in Christian's home. I perk back up, excited to go exploring.

I start with the rooms downstairs. There are a couple of guest bedrooms that are decorated like a high class hotel room. They look absolutely perfect. There is one room that is locked. I assume it is Christian's office, so I don't bother trying to get in. No need to invade his personal space if he doesn't want anyone there.

I continue down the hall, and enter in the lasy room on the left to see the best home library I have ever seen. There are two levels, the lower level has white couches on all three walls. There are a few small windows to let in natural light. On the upper level are where all his books are organized, in black bookcases. In the middle, for both levels, is a round paper chandelier. I can see someone staying in this room for hours. I will have to consider that when I stay over longer

The library is at the end of the hallway. So I head upstairs.

More guest bedrooms are upstairs, and at the end of the hallway are two bedrooms, both with closed doors. One has a code lock on the door knob. _That must be the sex room. Let's go!_ I don't want to go in the room just yet. I am seriously not ready. _Ugh!_

I decide to go into the other bedroom, which is Christian's master bedroom. The bedroom is large, with a king size bed on one side facing the windows that look out to the space needle. The bedroom also connect to a balcony wrapping on the other side of the room. I want to lay out on the king sized bed, but I feel awkward, since it is perfectly made. So I head out to the balcony. The balcony has a fire pit with outdoor couches surrounding it. The awning covers the balcony, which makes it perfect for rainy days. There are also a few large trees around the balcony. We could spend a couple late nights out here. _Making yourself comfortable Ana?_ I might be.

I head to the master bathroom, where I first see the giant soak-in tub with jets. I notice the cave like shower next to it, which has shower heads on both walls and the ceiling. It is absolutely the most luxurious shower I ever seen.

I go to his closet, which is connected through the bathroom. He has all his suits organized perfectly by color and style. He has a giant mirror to stare at his beautiful body. I look at myself in the mirror; really see myself.

I look at my sexy dress. My hair is a little messier than before, but I still look good. For a long time, I felt like Christian was out of my league, like he would never want someone who is plain. But, I was wrong. I do fit with Christian. He may have expensive taste, but he also seems like he wants to be comfortable. I feel like I help him be comfortable. I smile at my realization, and wink at myself as I walk out of the closet.

I leave the bedroom, and head back downstairs, not going to check out the playroom. I go downstairs to the 'basement' level of the penthouse. _Yep, this penthouse has three floors. Of course! The life of a multi-billionaire._

I immediately see the cinema sign. _He has a movie room!_ I run into the room like an excited school girl. He has a modern fireplace on one side of the wall, and an extra-large, extra soft sectional that could seat several people or you can spread out like it is a bed. Against the main wall is the projection screen. He doesn't have DVDs stacked anywhere, but he probably has everything downloaded.

I only have a couple of more rooms left to explore. This is already a dream home with the movie room. I can't imagine how he could make it better.

I go to a room across from the movie room, which is the game room. This is not a child's game room though. This is setup like a private bar in a casino. There is a pool table, poker table, shuffle board, dart board and bar facing a flat screen television, most likely to watch sports games. This looks like a fun room.

I go to the last room on the basement level. I walk in to see...a pool. There is a pool! Christian has a pool! _That is it! We are not leaving!_ Christian has an indoor lap pool filled with crystal clear water. Windows surround the pool, providing a great view of Seattle. I want to jump in. _Keep it classy Ana….but me too!_ I approach the edge of the pool dipping my toes in.

"As much as I want to see you dripping wet, we still have dinner and a conversation about today." I quickly turn to see a once stressed out Christian Grey in a perfect fitting dark grey suit and loose tie. His hair is disheveled, like he has been pulling at it all day, but he looks content now that he is finally at home. "You look absolutely breathtaking." I believe him, seeing that he is aroused just by looking at me.

I rush to him, walking straight into his arms. He returns my embrace, hugging me tightly, sinking his head into the nape of my neck. He releases a deep breath, like he has been holding it all day. His whole body relaxes in my embrace.

"You look like you had a rough day." I gently rub his scalp. His response is to moan. "I will take that as a yes." I giggle with his non-response. He then lifts his head looking directly at me, giving me his sexy grin.

"I had one hell of a day, but it was nothing compared to yours."

"Oh mine? It was nothing; only dealing with a few crazy people. Nothing out of the ordinary." I playfully chuckle, but Christian doesn't laugh at my silly comments.

"If something happened to you-"

"But nothing did. I stood up to Elena. You gave me an amazing wardrobe. Taylor came to my rescue, which by the way, you should probably give him a raise." I gently rub his cheek, hoping to lessen his worry. "No scratches, bruises or even a mark. The worst that came out of it was my beautiful new car is damaged."

"You will have a new one brought here tomorrow afternoon."

"Perfect. See, everything is alright."

"Nothing is alright." Christian leaves my embrace beginning to pace along the lap pool. He is rubbing his head, messing the hair I just fixed. "I cannot believe Elena would say that…do that to you. She is trying to drive you away."

"And it didn't work. Nothing she does will work." Christian abruptly stop his pacing to look at me, searching to see if I am telling the truth. _This is a good time._ _Tell him you love him._ I can't, not yet. "Please Christian. Come with me. Let's have dinner, and I will tell you everything." I reach out hoping he will grab my hand.

"Let's have dinner." And he takes it.

~oOo~

"Even though I do not want you to defend me, thank you for doing it anyways." Christian tells me, grabbing my hand to kiss my knuckles.

"Of course Christian, I will always have your back."

We just finished the lovely chicken roast Gale made, with a side of mash potatoes and roasted vegetables. We already drank a couple of glasses of red wine as I tell him about today's events, and how I think Elena setup the man, his name we now know as Scott Bailey, vandalizing my car.

Taylor already told Christian charges will be pressed against him for vandalization and threatening to cause bodily harm. The cops are using Taylor and mine's statements, as well as the surveillance tape recorded in the parking garage. Who knows how much time Scott will get, but it doesn't really matter; it was Elena who orchestrated everything. I know she did, based on how he was acting.

"Do you think Scott was one of Elena's submissive?"

"There is an excellent chance. I am getting Welch to look into their relationship now." Mr. Welch is the head of GEH's business security. He makes sure all the business acquired are safe and secure companies. Many business will end up doing illegal activity when they become desperate. Mr. Welch finds all that out before any business are acquired.

He was able to find out about Stephen Morton, when GEH was investing into AMC. At first I thought it was an invasion of privacy, but now I understand, Christian needs to know what kind of business he is getting into before it can ruin his reputation or bring down GEH. And that is where Mr. Welch comes in. I don't know his first name, and I think he likes to keep it that way.

"Well, the way he was acting makes me believe he is." I get up to put the empty dishes into the kitchen sink. Christian follows me with the bottle of wine and two empty glasses. "You might want to keep the bottle of wine and glasses for what I am about to tell you now."

"Fuck. Should I get something stronger?" Christen asked, looking completely exhausted.

"I don't think so. I want you to be clear headed for what I am about to say." We walk out to the living room, sitting in the middle of the lovely beige couch. Christian pours red wine in the first glass half full and hands it to me. He then pours the second glass completely full, emptying the bottle. I don't know if this is the best time to tell Christian this, considering he had such a long bad day.

On top of what happened to me, he had a business try to ask for more money to sell their business, after already verbally agreeing to a settlement. They caught wind of how successful AMC is making Christian; he already has earned a few million dollars for his small investment into my company and next summer is going to at least triple our earnings. The owner felt like GEH could spend a little more on his company, since he thought his company had expansion potential. That was absolutely ridiculous considering he tempted to expand and failed. It didn't matter, the owner wanted more money, and Christian wasn't willing to give in. So the deal fell through. It is not the first deal to fall through or the last, but I can tell Christian hates to lose deals no matter what.

"What else would you like to tell me Ana." I take a deep breath and large sip of wine, getting ready to tell Christian what I think he should do with Elena.

"I think you should tell your family about Elena. And your past"

"No." Christian immediately gets up to pace the living room. There goes his hair again, completely disheveled by his touch.

"I am not finish."

"There is nothing more to say in the matter."

"Here me out."

"Ana, I can't."

"Yes you can. With the whole thing about Elena coming on to Elliot, he obviously knows something is up."

"He knows nothing! We do not know if Elliot is telling the truth. He likes to joke. He jokes around all the time. And Elena told me I was her only…partner at the time. She wouldn't try to seduce Elliot."

"I don't' think he would tell Kate something like that as a joke. They love each other. He was revealing something about his own past."

"Ana, if I tell my family…" Christian cannot seem to finish his sentence. He stops pacing and walks to his wine glass to completely down it. I don't know why he seems so nervous, unless…

"Do you think your mother won't believe you?"

"Yes…No….I don't know."

"Do you think she will take her side?"

"Maybe."

"Christian, she loves you. She will believe you."

"You don't understand Ana; I was such a fuck up when I was a teenager." Christian begins to calm down, sitting next to me once again. "I was such a terrible kid. I drove my parents crazy. When Elena came to…help…me, they saw the positive changes. They thanked her profusely. They think Elena was the one that saved me, at least that is what my mother thinks…until you came."

"Wait, what do you mean?" _This_ _is love sweetheart._

"I talk to my mom more frequently after the Coping Together event. She talks about you all the time. How I act with you. How I have changed; become more relaxed and open. She loves when you come to Sunday dinners. She actually invited us again for next Sunday, after we come back from New York." I started going to the Grey's Sunday dinners after the Coping Together fundraiser. They have them once a month, when everyone is available. I enjoy going, feeling like I am a part of a family again. Kate has recently gone, since her and Elliot's relationship has become serious.

Elena has also come to one dinner, invited by Grace because she thought she was lonely since her 'husband' was out on a business trip. _Their marriage is a complete sham. No way she actually has a husband._ Elena and Grace hang out quite often, which is why Christian needs to tell Grace. He already disconnect from her financially. He needs to disconnect from her personally as well to truly be free from her. The only way he can do that is if he tells his family.

"Tell her I would love to go, especially since you will need moral support for telling them about Elena after dinner."

Christian is about to get up again, ready to argue with me, "Ana, I-"

"No, just listen to me for one minute." I pull Christian back down to the couch next to me. "I need you not to interrupt me, even though you are going to want to after what I am going to say."

"I promise I will not interrupt you."

"I…" _Say it Ana! Take a chance on him!_ "I love you." Christian immediately looks at me shocked. I don't know why; I think I have been in love with him since we started talking on the phone. "And I don't want you to say it back, not till you're ready." Christian looks down into his lap ashamed. Probably because he couldn't tell me he loves me right now. How could he when Elena taught him love doesn't exist, not with people like him and her, whatever that means. "And I don't think you will be ready until you are free from Elena. Free from her affecting your thoughts and actions.

"You think Elena wouldn't seduce Elliot, but she is shellfish, taking advantage of young men at every chance she gets. You think Grace is going to take her side, but the love Grace has for you, her child, is much more greater than any friendship she has with Elena. You thought she could scare me away today. There is no way she would drive me away from you. I love you, with all my heart, and not because you invested in my company, or because we are good friends, or because the orgasms you give me makes me cry of happiness." He chuckles at that remark, giving me the first genuine smile of the night. "I love you for who you are, and the great man you have become. I have become a more confident and better person because of you. Now I want to help you do the same."

Christian looks at me with what I hope to be love in his eyes. He kisses me, so passionately, taking my breath away. I wrap my arms around his neck careful, not to touch his sensitive areas.

We began to make out, his tongue asking for entrance into my mouth. I allow him, deepening the kiss. He moves his hand gracefully down my neck, to the side of my chest, stroking my breast with his thumb so briefly brushing over my nipple, down to my lower back. He lowers me down the couch, pressing his very aroused cock into my lower half, rubbing against where I want him the most. His wandering hand reaches my thigh on the side of the slit of the dress. He reaches up my dress, easily reaching my black lace panties to rip them off.

I immediately gasp at his action, causing him to stop the make out session. He gives me a very amused and aroused look. He begins to kiss my cheek, my neck, my cleavage, burying his face between my plump breast a little, and then my stomach. His hand trails behind, landing on my left breast to massage them, pinching my nipple through the fabric. He forcefully lifts my leg up, placing it over the back of the couch. I place my other leg down, so my foot touches the floor. I am completely open to him, my dress bunched up around my hips. He looks down at my pussy, with a look of desire, but also surprise.

"You shaved."

"I did. I want to feel all of you, bare." Christian growls in response, with eyes darken, being aroused by my words. I am completely stimulated right now by the situation, and quickly remember the advice Kate gave me earlier today. "You make me so wet, Christian."

"Do I sweetheart?"

"Yes, so wet. See." I then take my hand and rub two fingers inside my pussy. Christian is watching me intensely. My arousal covers the tips of my fingers, and I show him. He looks at my fingers then me. He grabs my hand and put my two fingers in his mouth, slowly sucking them clean. I whimper at his action.

"Taste so good. But I want to taste more." He bends down and takes one long lick of my pussy. We moan at the same time. "So good. Makes me so fucking hard." Christian continues his licking, treating me like I am the dessert after a great meal. "I can't get enough of you Ana." He begins to lick and nibble at the folds of my pussy. I begin to pant desperately, feeling the orgasm overtake my body. He has not focused on the place that will make me come undone, not yet. But I want to encourage him. I want to show him I can be good sexually. Usually I am not a loud lover. I pant and quietly moan, almost like I am afraid to get caught. But tonight, I want to be more vocal.

"Christian, please, make me come." Christian quickly stops, looking surprised at my words. I groan out of frustration, not wanting him to stop. "Don't stop, make me come Christian, please." I start to beg, rubbing his head, hoping he will respond to me pleas.

"How do you want me to make you come Ana?"

"With your mouth." I pant. "And your tongue."

"I aim to please sweetheart." He continues sucking and nipping my pussy, focusing on my clit this time. I don't last very long, after he sucks my clit and gives it another good lick. I come, grabbing the couch cushions so hard, I am afraid I will tear them. My head is thrown back, and my back is arched, pressing my breast into his hand. He groups my breast tightly, adding to the sensation. He continues to lick me through my orgasm, cleaning up my arousal. I am left breathless, with my eyes slightly closed. I feel amazing, but I am not done yet.

Christian looks pleased with himself as he begins to stand up. "Beautiful," he says as he looks at my body, with my legs spread for him. Christian is fully aroused, with his hard cock wanting to be released from the confines of his slacks. I take the leap of faith again, taking charge briefly, telling him what I want him to do next.

"I want you to fuck me Christian, hard." Opening my legs further bending my knees to my chest.

"No sweetheart." I immediately close my legs, embarrassed with his response. Did I say that incorrectly? Was I too forward? Did I sound like a slut? _No! This is what he wants. This has to be what he wants. His cock is begging for it. Say it again._ I am too embarrassed to say anything, until Christian abruptly picks me up bridal style. I quickly cover up my surprise by wrapping my arounds around his neck and dipping my face in the crook of his neck.

"I really want to make love to you Ana. Please come to bed."

And so, I do.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Sorry for the delay. I have been moving to another state, and also felt like this is a good distraction from the world for a little while.**

 **Prières pour Paris.**

 **Chapter 9:**

We walk into his grand master bedroom. I never look away from him, with fear, nervousness and anticipation rushing through my body. He crawls on to the middle of the bed not letting me go. He gracefully lays my body down on the bed. Christian slides off the bed, still looking straight into my eyes intensely.

"The first time," _The first time?! Oh yes!_ "I am going to go slow. It will probably be quick. It will also hurt, but I will bring you pleasure." He fully removes his tie and unbuttons his shirt as he declares what it is going to happen. I see his burn scars across his chest, but do not stare, knowing he is still cautious about them. "I am going to push you, but not too much, and I will be gentle." He removes his pants and boxer briefs, where his cock springs to life. "The second time, will be different; a little rougher; a little faster. But the third time, will be exactly how I like it." I can't help but stare at his hard and very large cock while he is stroking it with his left hand, unsure how that is going to fit me. "Anastasia?"

"Yes?" I say breathlessly.

"It will fit, I promise."

"Ok." I respond, unsure if what he says is true, but I trust him anyways.

As he stands at the food of the bed, he commands, "Anastasia, I want you to take off your clothes now." I assumed he was going to do everything. I get off the bed, but he stops me by grabbing my ankle. "No, while you are on the bed. Take off your clothes on my bed." I lay back down, unsure how I am going to do this in a sexy way. I sit up, unzipping my dress from the back, and slip the top half off. I lay back down, lifting my hips and bend my knees to slip my dress off. I discard the dress next to me. I unclip my bra and lay it also next to me. I lay back on the bed, knees bent and closed, staring at the ceiling completely nervous. "Next time, I want you to look at me." I quickly look at Christian, still showing how unsure I am about my movements and abilities. I didn't realize I never looked at Christian the whole time I took my clothes off. I think I was simply too scared.

Christian scoots on the bed, slightly spreading my legs to him. I feel physically open to him. He is still stroking his impressive cock. I look at him, panting harshly. "Anastasia, you are on birth control, correct?" I go blank. I know I want to do this, but I am scared. What if I mess up? What if he doesn't fit? What if it hurts too much? What if he doesn't like having sex with me? _You already had oral sex several times. What is the big deal?_ I know my inner voice is right, I just don't want Christian to be disappointed by my inexperience. "I am not doing a good job if you have to think this hard."

"I am sorry…I mean…yes, I got the shot, a month ago…yeah," I say, feeling like I am going to lose my breath.

"Are you nervous Anastasia?"

"Ummm…not really," I whisper in response.

"Why are you nervous Ana?" he curiously asks, ignore my previous response.

"I just don't want to disappoint you." I whisper back.

"Do not worry sweet heart." He lowers his body on top of me, now face to face. "There is no way you can disappoint me. I will take care of you." He kisses me, passionately, sucking and biting on my lower lips, and stroking my tongue with his. He is hovering over me, but his chest still rubs against my harden nipples, arousing me even further as he is slightly moving against me.

He takes one hand, and began to stroke and pinch my right breast. I moan into the kiss at his gesture. I wrap my legs around his thighs, letting him know I am ready. He scoots down to suck and lick my left breast. I moan even louder, as he moves to the other breast giving it equal attention. He lowers his hand further between my legs, feeling how aroused I am. I think I am ready for him now. I am completely aroused, and no longer have fear in my body. I want him to take me. I want to fill him inside me. I want to feel connected to him, not just emotionally, but physically. I want all of him.

He sits up and looks down on me, stroking himself again. "You are very wet Anastasia. I think you are ready for me."

"Yes." I respond breathlessly, but with a lot more confidence. He places his impressive manhood between my folds, stroking back and forth. He is coating himself with my arousal, and every time he rubs against my clit, I am moaning in pleasure. I am thrusting my hips towards him, but he places his hand down on my hip to control my movements. He kneels back over me, face to face. I place my hands on his cheeks, looking lovingly back at him. I love this man. I really do, and I am ready to give myself to him.

He suddenly thrust himself inside me. I gasp at the sudden intrusion. I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to embrace the tightness, and slight pain. _He is not even fully in!_ Christian kisses my eyelids, my cheeks, and then my lips. "Breathe Anastasia." I open my eyes to him and release the breath I was holding. He takes my right thigh in his hand and presses my leg further up his body. This opens me up further to him, and releases some of the pressure. I lift my other leg a little higher on Christian's body too. He looks back at me, and begins to thrust slowly. The pain has lessens as he is thrusting in me and I began to moan through desperate pants.

"You are so tight, so soft. Fuck you feel good." And Christian's thrust are a little faster and a little deeper. I place my hands on his lower back, encouraging him further. I am feeling the pleasure, with slight pain, but enjoying the new feeling either way. I squeeze my eyes shut trying to control the overwhelming emotions. "Open your eyes Ana. I want to see you when you come." I do, but can't help the tears that are falling from my cheeks. I am not crying over the pain, just the strong emotions I am feeling right now.

I never thought I would make love. I was always afraid of sex, seeing it as something a man takes from a woman, or something a woman gives because she wants something. I never knew about the overwhelming pleasure I am feeling right now.

 _Yes!_ "Yes!" I moan out repeatedly as he picks up his pace further.

He takes his hand away from my thigh, and begins to stroke my clit with his thumb. "Let go Ana." With his final action and words, I let go, releasing my orgasm and tightening around him more. "Fuck!" he says, a few strokes later as he releases inside me. He relaxes his body on top of me, breathing heavy into my hair. I am breathless as well, holding tightly onto Christian, enjoying his weight on top of me. "I don't want to move." Christian admits.

"Me either."

"But I have to clean you up." He slowly pulls himself out of me, watching his own movements the whole time. I inadvertently groan with the loss. I don't understand what he means, but I start to feel it. I look down to see his semen drip out of me. I didn't even know he came that much in me. "While that is a beautiful sight, let me clean you up." He took the warm wash cloth he just got out of his bathroom and began to clean me. I lay on his bed, opening my legs to him again, unsure what to do with his gesture. I decide to let him take care of me. He grabs my hand, and asks me to come with him. I do without even hesitating.

He walks into his bathroom and into his amazing cave like shower. He starts the water, and it rains down from the ceiling. The water instantly turns warm, and he takes me under the spray. I didn't realize how sweaty and clammy I was until I got under the warm water. The water feels amazing as it falls down my body, which still feels tingly from my recent orgasm. I am already feeling aroused looking at his hard wet body in front of me.

He grabs his shampoo, placing some in his hands and walks behind me to wash my hair. The washing/massage feels amazing. He rinses my hair and then massages my scalp with conditioner. He takes the liquid soap, and scrub his hands, soaping them in the process. He goes behind me and massages my shoulders, cleaning me in the process. He does this all over my body, except for where I want him the most.

He stands up, done washing my calves and feet. He looks at me, knowing I want him to touch me just by my desperate look. He takes the soap and lather his hands again, never looking away. He walks closes to me, and I walk back, placing me against the shower wall. He has a predatory look to him, and I know our second time is going to happen soon. He places his soapy hand and lowers his hand to my vagina. He takes two of his fingers and strokes my folds. I moan and begin to pant as my orgasm builds again. I press my body further on the wall, afraid my weak legs are going to collapse. He kisses my lips, cheeks, and then neck, as he strokes me faster. I breathlessly moan, and enjoy the orgasm that is building in me for the third time tonight.

He then abruptly stops, but quickly lifts me so my legs are wrapped around him and I am over his manhood. I wrap my arms around him, never looking away from him. He suddenly inserts himself inside me, and I wrap my arms around him tighter, desperately holding on. He thrusts a lot faster, as he leans me gains the shower wall. While there is still a little pain and pressure, the pleasure overwhelms me and I feel nothing but passion. I am bouncing on him, as he roughly grabs my hips, so I can thrust against him. I am moaning loudly at this point, as my orgasm rushes throughout my body. I lean my head back, moaning and vibrating against him. A few thrust later, he comes right after me. Once again, I collapse breathlessly around him. He doesn't let me go, as he catches his own breath.

With one hand, he turns off the water, and walks us out of the shower cave. He pulls out of me, and places me down on my weak legs. He helps me sit on one of his cushy bathroom chairs, and goes gets a few plush white towel. As I look at myself in the vanity mirror, I look completely dazed, after our amazing love making session or sessions.

He places one over his lower body, and wraps a towel around my hair. He dries my entire body, almost eliciting more pleasure, when he was drying my lower half. I was too tired to protest when he didn't take it any further. He dries off my hair as much as possible, and then combs it. We have not spoken through this entire ordeal, probably not wanting to ruin the moment. I know, I do not. When he finishes combing my hair, he impressively braids my hair down my back. I just now realize I have been naked the whole time, not even having a towel wrapped around me. I am not even a little uncomfortable though.

When he is done, he picks me up, and carries me bridal style, still completely naked to him. He places me on the bed, and tucks the covers, so I can get under them. He removes the top blanket, with our sweat and arousal socking them, and throws it on the floor. While I am getting comfortable, he comes back with another large comforter, placing it over me. He releases his towel, and then goes under the cover, laying right next to me face to face.

At this point, I cannot help to ask a question, hoping it doesn't ruin the moment, "Why did you do all that Christian?" I finally asks, not understanding what just happened.

"I want our first time to be perfect. I never had anyone sleep in my bed. I never made love. This is all new to me as well Ana." I am not surprised, considering his own intimacy issues. "Also…because you are mine Ana, and I take care of what is mine."

"Thank you." His possessive comment doesn't scare me at all. He says he struggles to love me, to love anyone, but once again, he shows me he does in the most romantic way. And I would rather have that then an empty declaration. Christian does love me, and I love him very much.

~oOo~

I wake up from a deep sleep hearing a faint sound of music. When I turn in the bed, I realize Christian is not in it. I reach my arm for him, feeling that the bed is still warm. He must not been gone too long.

I get out a bed, wrapping the white sheet off of Christian's bed around my body. As I open the bedroom door, I hear the somber piano playing a little bit louder. I head down the stairs, walking into the great room to see Christian playing the piano with just his boxer briefs on. I do not know much about piano music, but I am familiar with the classics. I am pretty sure he is playing Beethoven, Moonlight Sonata. It is a beautiful, intense, and sad song. I hope I have not made him sad or disappointed him.

As I approach him, I accidentally run into the coffee table, and he abruptly stops and turns around to investigate the noise.

"I'm sorry. Please…keep playing." He smirks at me, and return to the piano keys, playing the somber song again. I am entrance by his playing. It feels so emotional, so intimate. He eventually ends the song, resting his hands on the keys.

"Are you ok?" I cautiously asks.

He turns to me and looks straight in my eyes, giving me his winning smirk. "More than ok. I am great actually."

"I wasn't sure. The song sounds so sad. I wasn't sure if something was wrong. If I did something." I whisper those last words, hoping I didn't cause him any pain during our love making.

He looks at me concerned and reaches his hand out for me. I grab it, sitting closely next to him on the piano seat. "Nothing is wrong. Seriously Ana, I am doing great. For me that song is really powerful. I feel…strong when I play it." He moves my hair off my shoulder, to kiss my bare shoulder. "It took me a year to figure that song out when I had my piano lessons as a teenager. I practically smashed the keys when my instructor told me I was playing it too fast or slow." He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me even closer. I wrap my arms around his neck, forgetting about the sheet wrapped around me.

"When I finally figured how to play it, straight through without any mistakes, I felt powerful, liked I accomplish something that seemed so out of reach. I still do." I brush my hand through his hair, in awe of the man next to me. He truly inspires me. In one way, I understand how he feels. Tonight, I was able to conquer my fear of intimacy, feeling powerful too, after much practice. "How are you Ana?"

"I am good…really good." I say bashfully. "I am little sore, but it doesn't hurt."

"Good because I know something else that will make me feel powerful."

"What?"

"Making love to you again." He then lifts me, which allows the sheet to fall on the floor. I wrap my arms and legs around him, and he carries me upstairs to his bed, and we made love, a third time, just like he likes it, as he promised. And I. couldn't. get. enough.

 **A/N: Short but hopefully sweet. I will be posting another chapter this weekend. Stay tune.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Hope you all are having a good day. I wrote something a while ago in this chapter about Ana being nervous about the safety of her customers and referencing some violent events that happened. This could've shaken some people and make them feel uncomfortable or sad considering what is happening right now in the world. So I rewrote it, hopefully so it won't bother people too much.**

 **Your reviews, follows, favorites, and reads are always welcomed. As always,**

 **Je me tiens avec Paris.**

 **Chapter 10:**

"I am going to tell my family tonight about Elena." Christian declares, during our drive to the Grey's family home. It has been a quiet drive, with Christian focusing on driving, and I am letting him contemplate what he is going to do. "I do not know how, but I will. I will need you there. I cannot do this alone."

"I will be by your side, always." I grab his free hand and squeeze it, returning to a much more comfortable silence in the car.

Our trip to New York went pretty well. Christian, Kate, Elliot and I returned on Thursday. Christian had some other business to attend to, but he joined us in our planning when he could.

Elliot was excited about the renovations because they were simple but will be a nice addition to his construction company's was nothing but giddy to open an AMC in New York. Her family and her visit all the time, and she absolutely loves the city. Every negative remark I had, she came back with a positive solution, which showed her knowledge of the area.

I am still nervous about opening an AMC in New York City, specifically Manhattan. It is the most competitive market in the world, and I can see the AMC closing down in months after locals become interested in the next new thing, but the time seems right. The theater we looked at was beautiful, with classic theater decorating features, like gold light features, red carpet, and two levels of theater seating. We didn't really need to do too much to the kitchen; there were enough to do the basic cooking of the main AMC menu.

I worry that our food won't be as good as other AMCs because we won't have a full kitchen, but Kate assures me the food will be unique because we will use local New York food. Kate even begun contacting vendors she want to create contracts with. We are moving forward with AMC Manhattan, and hopefully it will at least be somewhat of success. _Don't get too excited Negative Nancy_.

As for personal life, I never been more happy and satisfied. I cannot get enough of Mr. Grey. I am in a constant state of arousal when I am with him. I am constantly touching him, wanting him, dreaming about him... inside me. He makes me feel absolutely incredible when we have sex, and I want him all the time. I feel like a teenager constantly thinking when Christian and I can have sex next. Maybe that is the problem; I never had a normal teenage experience when it came to sex and relationships. So now, I get to experience that with Christian.

Christian obliges me whenever I asks or seduce him. Even when we were in New York City, we had sex almost every night. The only times I kept my hands off of him was when we had business to attend to or when Kate and Elliot wanted to hang out and have lunch or dinner, but I still try to be with him.

One late afternoon, the four of us went to ABC Kitchen. Kate and Elliot were excited about the possibilities of having an AMC Manhattan, but I was ready to be with Christian. They kept talking about the potential, and Christian was interested in the business side. I already knew how AMC Manhattan was going to operate and knew it could be immediately successful, but was nervous about our long term chances.

I decided to excuse myself, leaving for the restroom. I decided to freshen up and made a decision to seduce Mr. Grey right then and there. I took off my bra. This was easily the craziest thing I have ever done, but I wanted to excite Christian, and hopefully move the lunch along a little faster, so we can return to our hotel suite. Even though with my outfit of a black sleeveless blouse and blue pencil skirt made me look professional, not having any a bra on had made me feel sexually free. I put my undergarment in my purse and walked back to the table. Luckily, I was sitting next to Kate, thus sitting across from Christian. When I reached for some condiments for my delicious veggie burger, with minted yogurt on house made whole wheat pita bread, my loose blouse dipped down, showing what was under. Christian got a nice view of my chest, and he quietly growled with excitement, as he looked at me like I was his prey ready to be eaten.

"What's wrong with you bro?" Elliot responded with a confused look on his face. Luckily Elliot didn't see my actions that day, but I knew Christian did by his intense stare at me.

"I just remembered; I need to leave for a conference call, and Ana needs to come with me." Christian responded, but never looks away from me.

"Is it something important? Should I go?" Kate responded with concern. She always worries she is not helping enough on the business side with the fast expansion we are experiencing with AMC. Her focus has always been promotions, marketing, and brand control. What she doesn't understand is she is the reason we consistently have customers to all our AMCS with her hard work and expertise. It makes the business and more specifically the financial side easier to deal with.

But I knew that day Christian didn't want to talk business.

"No, your focus should be on AMC Manhattan. You do not have to worry about this…conference call." I responded to Kate, not wanting to break away from Christian intense sexual glare. Christina threw down a few hundred dollars on the table and told them lunch was his treat. He then grabbed my hand aggressively, so we could head to the car. He signals Taylor that we were ready to go. We got in the limousine that had the privacy partition already up, and Christian barely waited for the car door to close before he responded to my actions.

"You think that is appropriate Anastasia?"

"I wanted you, and I wasn't sure how to get your attention." I told him, knowing that was definitely going to get a response.

"You got my attention, giving me a nice view of your tits." He pulled down a sleeve of my blouse, and sucked on one of my breast, every so often biting on my nipple. I moaned my gratitude towards this fantastic feeling. He quickly stopped, grabbed my hair and pulled my face close to his. "You are not allowed to speak Anastasia. Your breast are mine," he said as he roughly squeezed my breast. "Your pussy is mine," where he then reached up my skirt and ripped my panties off. "And your pleasure, will always be mine." He then grabbed my hips, and lifted me on top of him. He aggressively lifted my skirt. "Fuck me if you want me so much."

At that point, I never really commanded for control when it came to sex. I never was on top. I never brought us to an orgasm. I never took the lead. Christian would do everything, directing my body in the positions he wanted. But that day, he wanted me to show him what I wanted.

So I unzipped his pants and lowered his briefs enough to release his dick, which was very hard. I began to stroke him, and Christian placed his arms back on the car seats, relaxing, enjoying what was happening. "Is that what you want sweetheart, to stroke me?"

"No, I just wanted to get you arouse." I responded, still confused on what to do at that point.

"Do you think I am not aroused right now?" I don't know why I felt so nervous that day, but I couldn't help feel unsure of myself during that time. Christian can read me very well. He grabbed my hands to stop me from stroking him, and told me intently, once again, "Fuck me Anastasia."

I placed my hands on either side of his head. I lowered myself onto him slowly, enjoying the connection we had. I began to move up and down on his hard cock. I was enjoying him so much, but I wanted more. I untuck my black blouse and took it off, placing it on the car floor. I was bouncing up and down on him faster, grabbing my breast, pinching my nipples hard. Christian smiled at my enthusiasm. "That's it baby, fuck me. Show me how much you want my cock." His words encouraged me to go faster, and I placed my hands on his knees behind me, trying to ride him faster. And I did that beautiful afternoon, but I was not able to make myself come. That was still Christian's job. He did own my pleasure.

"Christian, please." I begged.

"What do you want Ana?"

"I want you."

"What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to make me come." I whispered the last few words, still shy about saying what I want sexually. He picked me up, never losing our connection, spun us around, virtually switching places, and laid me on the car seat, where he aggressively fucked me while he was on his knees. He had my legs spread wide, by pressing my knees to the car seat. He was relentless, and I couldn't get enough. I couldn't get enough of Christian. Only a few minutes later, I came, tightening around him. This caused his own release, where he then laid on top of me breathless. "I love you Christian. Thank you."

He pulled away, where he was resting comfortably on top of me, and looked at me bewildered. "Thank you Ana, and… I can't-"

"No need to finish." I interrupted. "You say it when you are ready." I kissed his lips in assurance.

Christian didn't say I love you that day, and he hadn't said it yet. I don't expect him to. He is not in a position to say he loves me right now and mean it, even though he shows me his love every day. Luckily he seems to appreciate me saying it to him.

He told me he has been seeing his psychiatrist Dr. Flynn. For so many years he talked to Dr. Flynn about his past, and how to get over it. Now he discusses how he can move forward from his past, and what he wants in his future. This pleases Dr. Flynn apparently. This pleases me very much as well. I hope to see the good doctor soon, figure out my own life and future.

(knock, knock, knock)

Thinking back to our sexy car ride, a loud knock came from our tinted window of the limousine; no doubt it was from Taylor.

"Do not open the door Taylor!" Christian commanded.

Christian broke away from me, losing our sweet connection. I could feel his semen dripping out of me, and I quickly tried to clean it up with some tissue, even though I enjoyed the proud look he had on his face. We were trying to put ourselves together, like we were caught teenagers, with the police just outside are car window.

"Mame, Sir, we are here. I will be in the hotel lobby, when you are…ready." Taylor said in an amused tone. We looked at each other and laughed at the turn of events, truly feeling young and free. That was another great afternoon with Mr. Grey.

~oOo~

I still can't help the dirty thoughts and feelings that run through me; thinking about the many sexual experiences we had thus far, and the ones that sure to come. Even now, as Christian is driving to his parents' home for Sunday dinner, I lay my hand on his lap, caressing him. "As much as I appreciate the gesture, we are 5 minutes from my parents' home, and I am not willing to start something I can't finish. So you better remove your hand and save that for latter." He gently grabs my wrist and put it on my lap.

"I'm sorry. I didn't even realize I was doing it." He looks at me astonished, like I am lying. "I am serious! I just can't stop touching you."

"I think I created a monster."

"A loveable sex monster." I happily agree. "And you can call her Anastasia." He laughs at my silly comments, but part of me takes them seriously. _That is right. I am finally free and loving life._ "Don't worry, I have self-control." _But, I don't._ As Christian pulls up to the driveway of his parent's home to park, I unbuckle my seatbelt, lean over and whisper, "But just so you know, I'm not wearing any underwear." Christian growls his approval and reaches under my white dress to check. I open my legs without question, and he rubs my clit and folds with two fingers, and insert them inside of me, fingering me a few strokes. I sulk a little bit as he removed his hand.

"You are going to be a tease, then I am going to tease you right back sweetheart." He sucks his two fingers, and I am turned on even more. I push down my long sleeve white dress, glad that it goes pass my knees. I am suddenly nervous Christian's parents are going to see how turned on I am. "Don't worry sweetheart, no one will tell you are not wearing underwear. But you should probably cover those." He casually points to my two very hard nipples. He began to laugh at my embarrassment, and I close my brown cardigan to hide my aroused breast. I laugh with him feeling embarrassed, but not ashamed. "Are you ready? I am pretty sure I saw my mom peeking out the window."

"Oh god, I hope not. If she saw what we were doing-"

"She would be happy because I am happy, more than I ever have been." I smile at his comments, so pleased that I can make him happy.

"I am ready….are you?" I know this is going to be really hard for Christian; to tell his parents about Elena and his 'relationship'. "I know I said you should tell your parents, but you don't have to."

He lets out a big sigh. "No, I do. Dr. Flynn thinks I should. You agree with him. I need to do this." I nod at his true remarks. He begins to get out of the car but he stops. He looks at me again, very sincerely, "Ana, I never wanted more until I met you. What is holding me back is the fact that I am still keeping secrets, trying to act like nothing happened, or how what happened to me was good for me. But I need my past not to affect my life anymore. I can't move on if I have my demons still hanging around. I need my parents to know who I was, and who I am now or at least who I want to be, despite the consequences. If my family can't accept me because of it, no matter what, I will always have you."

"Always, no matter what." And with my honest words, he gives me a sincere kiss, and we are ready to go.

~oOo~

Christian and I are entering the grand, but comfortable Grey's family home hand in hand, and are immediately greeted by Grace at the door. _Oh god, I hope she was not peeking out the window. I do not want her to meet me, ever._ Me either.

"Ana, Christian, I am so happy to see you." She goes to kiss Christian's cheek, but he moves to hug her, wrapping his arms around her back and shoulders. It looks like she freezes a little bit, but quickly returns the hug. I can imagine this surprises Grace, since Christian found it painful for other people to touch him, but as he is moving towards a better future, he is allowing the people he trusts in, and he trusts his mother.

"Thank you mom for inviting us," Christian says pulling back from the hug.

"Of course. I am so happy you both could come." I can tell Grace wants to cry, but she shakes it off. She approaches me for a hug, and I easily return it. "Thank you Ana," she whispers. She pulls away too quickly for me to say anything. I noticed Carrick shaking hands with Christian and patting his son on the back.

He turns to greet me, "Ana it is lovely seeing you again." He kisses my cheek and gives my shoulder a squeeze.

"It is nice seeing you too Mr…. I mean Carrick." I still have difficulty not being too formal with Christian's parents. I want them to like and respect me.

As we walk through the entryway, I ask Carrick how his work is going. "Luckily slowing down. I know my wife would like to see me work less."

"Only if it means you reduce your stress level. You know you need to lower your blood pressure," Grace responds in a concern but loving tone. We are now sitting in the family room, with Christian sitting next to me on the sofa.

"I am," he responds to Grace looking right at her, only to whisper to me like he is telling me a secret, "it is a nice excuse to play more golf," he says in an amused tone and chuckles. I laugh at his playful manner, and glad to see him joke with me, be comfortable with me.

"Carrick," Grace chastises. She is too much in a happy mood to chastise him anymore. "Christian, Ana, what would you like to drink?" Christian asks for bourbon on the rocks. I am not surprise he wants something strong. I ask for white wine. I continue my conversation with Carrick.

"I actually have a proposition for you." I discussed this with Christian already, but I think Carrick would be good addition for AMC, doing some of the legal work every so often, or at least be an advisor for me. It is not that I dislike the lawyers at Christian's company, but sometimes I think they are concerned more for Christian than me. Christian had no problem bringing on Carrick, especially since it would be worth more of his time then doing the stressful court case he does now, since he is in the final year of being a prosecuting attorney of the King County.

"Oh? How can I help you Ana?" he asks in a surprised tone.

"Since you have experience working with local companies, I was thinking you could help me and my company by being and advisor. It wouldn't take much of your time, and I would make sure it was worth your while financially-"

"Please Ana, I am not worried about the money. How may help?"

"Well,… AMC, I mean Annie's Movie Café is expanding faster than I can imagine, and as the company grows, I know complaints are likely to come and lawsuits are going to come out of nowhere. Also with increased threats to public places, I am afraid one of our theaters could face something similar. We have the best security, who will take action to protect our patrons. But, I want my security to be protected as well, if people find ways to sue them for their protective actions.

"What I was inevitably hoping for…is for you…to be an advisor… to me. Personally assist me when legal issues come up. You would be compensated for your work. We can negotiate terms later, but I wanted to know if you were at least interested?"

"Absolutely. I would love to help. I feel like I have worked with scumbags so long, it will be nice to be a part of a young company, working with a smart woman."

"Thank you!" I immediately stand up to shake his hand, make it official. Carrick stands as well, returning my enthusiastic greeting, but what surprises me the most is when he hugs me. Grace and Christian look at each other smiling at our interactions.

"Oh God! Please tell me I didn't lose my inheritance to Ana?!" Elliot groans, as he walks in with an arm around Kate and seeing Carrick and I actions.

Grace chastises him. "Elliot! Don't be silly." We all began to greet Kate and Elliot in hugs and kisses.

"I just know I am going to be replaced by the great and lovely Ana banana any day now. I know she is your second favorite," he says to Grace.

"Elliot, stop with your jokes. I love you all equally, including Ana." I never heard Grace say she loves me, but I blush at her declaration. To my surprise, Christian looks a little angry or frustrated, but he hides it by sitting down on the couch and taking a sip of his drink. I sit next to him squeezing his thigh in reassurance. He smiles appreciatively and puts his arm around me. I snuggle into his side.

"So what is the hold up? Why are we not eating?" Elliot asks as he and Kate sit on the other end of the sofa we are sitting at.

"You have been here for two minutes and already you are hungry." Grace chastises him again. "And as you may of noticed, your lovely sister is not here."

"Oh yea, no wonder it was so quiet. Where is the lovely and spoiled Mia?" Elliot says with an amused tone and smirk on his face. Kate pinches his arm, hard, and he winces in pain. "Ow!"

"Well our lovely and not spoiled daughter is getting off work. She is on her way now," Grace responds.

"Where does she work? What does she do?" I ask.

"She works as a sous chef at a lovely restaurant that apparently she wants none of us to know where, so we cannot bother her." Carrick responds in a somewhat irritated tone.

"If she told us where she worked, Christian and I would be hassling her non-stop, with background checks, security guards, being overprotective dicks, I mean brothers…. It is probably for the best," Elliot responds as he and Kate takes their drinks from Grace. He sounds like he is joking, but I am sure that is exactly how it would happen.

"I was hoping she would apply at the AMC in Seattle?" Christian says looking at me.

"Why, so you know where she is all the time?" I say as I smirk at him.

"No,…well…maybe." Elliot and Christian chuckles, while Grace shakes her head disapprovingly. "Actually, she is an amazing chef, but I do not think a fancy place is good for her. She needs to be nurtured, mentored, and the head chef at AMC would be great for her to work with, not some dick asshole who needs to prove his authority." This makes me think Christian knows where she is currently working.

"Who is the head chef?" Grace asks.

"Ana." Kate responds with a big smirk on her face. I blush at his compliment, but maybe he is right. I organize all the menus for AMC, but it is the one in Seattle that I test my food ideas and share them with customers. I work there a few days of week, with my sous chefs in training taking over for the rest of the time. I am hoping to hire one of my sous chefs as a head chef, but none of them really take their AMC jobs too seriously. They see it as a stepping stone, not a career. Maybe I will talk to Mia about a job there.

"Well if that is the case, then we will have her apply this week. And don't take it easy on her because she is family," Carrick responds very seriously.

"Let me talk to Mia first before we push her into to doing anything." I say.

"Talk to me about what?" We all turn to Mia's voice at the entryway. She surprisingly looks exhausted and disheveled, with her hair in a messy bun and kind of gross clothes, with food all over her chef's jacket. Her family gets up to approach her, seeing that she is so distraught.

"What happened?" Grace asks taking Mia into her arms.

"I just had a bad day mom," she says somberly. "The head chef is so cruel sometimes, I can't stand it," she says in a much more heated and frustrated tone.

"Who is he?!" Christian responds, determined to fix this for his sister. I guess he doesn't know, but he must see the aftermath of how his sister is being treated by the head chef. I would be pissed too.

"No way am I telling you. By the end of the night, he will probably be fired and you would own the place."

"And the problem with that would be?" Christian asks seriously.

"Christian." I say, "Let her figure it out." I squeeze his arm. He nods in agreement. "Actually I wanted to talk to you about possibly checking out my movie café in Seattle. Maybe you would like to check out our kitchen, help cook something up." I don't know what has come over me, but I guess I like working with the Greys. _They are your family._ Please, not now. I know I always dreamt of a family like this, but I can't get my hopes up since Christian and I are not official. _I say no way in hell this family, including Christian, is going to let you go._

"I would love to," Mia responds surprised, but appreciative by the invite. "I am free tomorrow, if you are available."

"I am, we can meet at 12 pm at AMC Seattle. Just to check it out. Maybe you might even want to interview to work there." And suddenly the giddy Mia appears, the one I have known for a while now.

"Eeeeeeeee! Thank you! Thankyou! THANKYOU!" And everyone cover their ears or wince after the loud shriek.

"Mia calm down, she didn't offer you a job," Grace says, trying to calm down her youngest child

"I know, I know," she says to her mother. "I will see you tomorrow at 12 pm, sharp!" she tells me with a big smile. She hugs me, happy that I made the offer.

"All right," Elliot smacks his hands together in excitement. "Let's eat!"

"Hold on, we are waiting for one person, possibly two," Grace says.

"Who?" Elliot impatiently groans in response.

"Elena and Andrew Lincoln," and Christian and I both freeze.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11:**

"Why are we waiting for them?" Elliot responds, somewhat annoyed. I wonder the same thing. Christian wanted to tell his parents about his past, but how can he do that with her around. He sits back in the couch looking defeated, and finishing his glass of bourbon quickly.

"Actually, Elena made an offer to Carrick and I to invest in her salons, and we are going to accept." Grace happily declares.

"We thought we would discuss details further and celebrate after dinner," Carrick says as well.

"What?!" Christian growls in response, almost breaking his glass on the coffee table when he slammed it down. Everyone looks stunned or startled by his outburst.

(Ding Dong)

And of course that is when the doorbell rings. Grace and Carrick get up to answer their door, still looking at Christian confused. Elliot sits down in the sofa chair across from us, looking confused as well. "What the hell was that?" He whispers to Christian.

"Leave it Elliot." Usually Christian calls Elliot by his nickname, Lelliot; a name he created when he couldn't say his older brother's name properly when he was a child. But Christian saying his correct name in a very serious tone, shows he doesn't want to talk right now. And Elliot notices, not asking another question.

I try to snuggle in to Christian side again, but he is so stiff that he is making me uncomfortable sitting next to him. He gets up, heading into the kitchen to get himself another drink. I follow.

"You don't have to do this tonight. We just have to convince your parents to not invest in Elena's salons."

"We!? There is no 'We' in this matter Ana! She is fucking with me…again!" Christian whisper yells at me, as he downs another glass of bourbon. I try to ignore his hurtful comments.

"I know you are hurt-"

"You don't fucking get it Ana!" Christian practically yells at me this time, looking right at me, getting close to my face. "If she gets them into making them a deal, I can't fucking say anything! They are not just investing in her salons because they could earn a couple of bucks! They are doing it because they feel like they owe her, for 'helping' me!" I understand what Christian is saying, and that is why I think he should be even more motivated to tell them.

"Then you should tell them, everything, tonight." I whisper to him, even though he has turned his back on me.

"No, I can't," Christian says, sounding absolutely defeated. He then walks away from me, ending our conversation. I have to convince him to say something. But I don't know how. _I know how. Let Anastasia at her._

I got an idea.

~oOo~

Elena Lincoln has a husband, and his name is Andrew. I walk back into the living room with them sitting together, looking like the loving husband and wife. How completely fake.

He is a large man, with a Santa Clause like tommy. His hair is jet black, which makes me think he dyes it. He only seems like Elena's type if she was marrying for money or status, which is probably why they are married.

This is where I get my idea from. Either he doesn't know about her lifestyle and he is going to get a shock or he does and they choose to not say anything. They probably have an arrangement allowing to cheat on each other or something. Either way, this allows for great argument material. I am going to start an argument at the dinner table, which will cause Elena to get angry. Hopefully she will slip and defend herself or her husband will, maybe even Christian will come out and defend me. _Hopefully._ Either way, Elena real personality will be known. But, I need help.

I am sitting next to Christian's stiff body, not feeling very comfortable at all. We are all listening to how amazing Elena's spas, Esclava, are.

"Grace, Mia, you know how luxurious my spas are. It is like taking a mini vacation," she proclaims.

"I do need to take a day at the spa. I am looking like a mess." Mia says.

"I will get you a discount, especially when your lovely mother invests in my salons." Christian fists are balling up in fury.

He turns to me asking if I want a drink, but I shake my head no. He then heads to the kitchen, probably drinking his anger away. I continue to sit here listening to this exchange uncomfortably. Grace looks at Christian walking away with worry.

"I just do not understand why Christian stopped investing in your company, especially with everything you have done for him." I glare at Elena, waiting for her fake response, but it is Andrew who responds.

"As a business decision, Elena's spas are too small for Christian to continue to invest in. They are not worth his time. We will always be grateful to have received the initial investment from him, and are grateful that he didn't sell his investment off to the highest bidder, gifting the salons instead."

"Plus, I am not willing to expand like a cheap chain restaurant. He is moving on to someone who is willing to sell out." Looking straight at me with a 'checkmate' smirk. Is she seriously calling me out? _That Bitch_.

"Well as long as Christian doesn't mind." Grace commends.

"He doesn't Grace. He even told me to look for another investor, and I thought you and Carrick would be a great choice. You can earn some money and not even lift a finger. I know you two work too hard. Anything I can do to help. This will be good for your retirement."

"Oh, we wanted to help you, considering everything you have done for us and our family."

"Oh, please, do not mention it. It was always my pleasure." Elena looking straight at me once again, while taking a sip from her glass of white wine. _Fucking disgusting. We got to get rid of this Bitch._

"We should make a spa day to celebrate. Kate and Ana, you should come," Grace says. _Kate!_ Kate! I can't believe I forgot she was here. She can help me.

"I have to go to the bathroom." I suddenly declare, making everyone look at me oddly. "Kate do you have to go too?" I look at her, begging with my eyes to come with me.

"I do. I have to go to the bathroom too." Kate gets up, knowing I have to talk to her.

"You know, we have more then one bathroom for you both to use, unless you two ladies insist on sharing one, then maybe I can join you too."

"Elliot, don't be ridiculous." Kate tells him, slapping his arm. "Where is the bathroom Mrs. Grey?"

"Please Kate, you can call me Grace. And the bathroom is through the foyer, down the hall, first door on your right."

"Thank you Grace." Kate says, and we walk to the bathroom together. The moment we enter, Kate can no longer resist. "Spill it, Steele! What is going on?"

"I need your help."

"Doing what?"

"Antagonizing Elena."

"Well that will be easy, but don't you think it is the wrong time to do it?"

"No, I think this is the perfect time. Look how she is acting around Grace, she is practically flirting with her."

"I know, I want to throw up. But I am desperately trying to impress Grace. I always feel so shy around her. She probably thinks I am mute. I want her to like me."

"I know, I know. I do too." I sigh. "But I can't stand the idea that for the rest of our lives, we will have to hang around that woman every time there is a family get together. She is a terrible person Kate. And Christian is not strong enough to say something to his family. Elliot wouldn't either." I began to pace, with absolute frustration. I can't believe how this woman gets to me. I haven't been angry like this since I was a teenager.

"Ok, ok. I will help. I would hate hanging around her, literally biting my tongue the whole time." I stop pacig, relieved that she can help me. "What do you need me to do?"

"Just, follow my lead. Interject with a comment when you have a good comeback. And make sure she sits across from us."

"Ok, will do. This better work. Otherwise…"

"I know, I know." Otherwise, Grace is going to hate us. Christian can very well hate me. We hug each other. "Thank you."

"Of course, I want to be a part of this family too." Kate says smiling back at me. We walk out of the bathroom, getting ready for battle.

~oOo~

"Dinner is ready." Grace says to us, as we head into the dining room to take our seats. Kate and I made it work, immediately sitting next to each other, so Christian and Elliot sit next to us. This forces Elena and Andrew to sit across from us, as Mia takes a seat next to Elena. Carrick and Grace sit at the heads of the table. Christian has been quiet ever since hearing the news, having several glasses of bourbon. He seems to be drifting further away, which scares me. I do not want to lose him, and I can see him disconnecting, tarnishing everything we have built.

We are first served a delicious authentic Caesar salad, which I begin to eat, waiting for my moment to interject.

"So, Christian, darling. How is business?" Elena ask casually, like she is not hurting him right now.

"Fine." He says, never putting his salad fork down.

"I read an article how you are going to overtake Bill Gates as the wealthiest man in the country." Carrick says proudly.

"Probably."

"I read that is partially due to the fact that you invested in Ana's company. Annie's Movie Café is going to double in worth by the end of the year. Is that right?"

"It is, and I think that is a gross underestimate. I think it will triple." Christian says, stopping to eat, looking proud of our accomplishment. I smile at him proud too.

"I haven't gone." Elena says.

"You should go. Carrick and I had a lovely date night. We saw a movie called Gone Girl. Not the best movie for a married couple," she says giggling towards her husband. He chuckles back, shaking his head, knowing what she is referencing to. She continues, "It was really good. Creepy, but really good," Grace says.

"I recommend you and Andrew should see it." Grace and Carrick laughs at my joke, since it is a really terrible movie for a married couple, considering it is about a crazy wife framing her husband of murder. I wasn't joking though.

"The food was absolutely divine. I had a roasted chicken salad wrap, with a Mexican salad. Carrick had a steak salad. I couldn't help but try his food too." Grace giggles in delight, remembering that night.

"The night was perfect, I am going to have to take Grace out again." Carrick responds. "You should take Elena out Andrew."

"But Carrick, movies are not interesting to me." Elena interrupts.

"Yea, I wouldn't think so. Majority of our films we show are either family friendly or made for mature adults. Nothing you would enjoy." I say.

"I try to convince Ana to show more dumb adult movies, you know older woman, younger man sex fantasies, but she won't budge." Kate comments.

"Come on Ana, your ticket sales would go up with some dirty movies." Elliot jokes. Our salad plates are taken away, and soon our main course is put out, which is a glazed steak, brown rice and grilled asparagus. Even though our conversation is grossly inappropriate, I can see Elena looking uneasy by where our conversation is going.

"I think that kind of stuff should be seen in private. Just my opinion." I say.

"Well, I am not interested in that kind of thing either." Elena declares.

"Oh, really. I thought you were somewhat, considering the young gentleman you were hanging out with that one time we met." That peaks everyone's interest. "Where were we Kate?" Christian is looking at me confused and slightly angered. He places his hand on my thigh and squeezes, most likely sending me a warning, but I pull away, looking at Kate, and refusing to allow Christian to stop me.

"We were at Neiman Marcus, shopping for business outfits." Kate responds.

"That's right. I needed better clothes, and Kate insisted on doing a shopping spree."

"It was fun, admit it?"

"It was, it was." Elena looks at us confused by our banter, still unsure where we are going with this conversation. "By the end of our shopping trip, I saw you, Elena, with a young man, practically following you around like a puppy."

"A very well trained puppy." Kate quickly responds.

"Who was he?" I ask, making Elena scramble a bit. Everyone seems to be curious of her answer. While Grace looks somewhat perturbed I am bringing this up, she does seem curious as well. I wonder if she wants to find out how far I will push the subject

"Oh, you must mean, Scott Baily. He is my assistant. I hired him recently after finding out he was in need of money. He was a homeless runaway, leaving his abusive father a few years ago. I hired him, hoping to help him out with a good job. He assists me at the salons and…personally. That is why he was with me at the clothes store." Elena explains.

"Is that something you do frequently, helping vulnerable young men?" Kate asks. _I couldn't asked that better myself._

"I try to help people when I can. Especially young people, considering I can't have children and Andrew and I decided to never adopt." Using the sympathy card. I see how she wants to play it. Considering I can't have children either, it won't work with me.

"Elena contributes greatly to Coping Together, specifically helping the young teenagers there, providing them jobs or opportunities with other people she is acquainted with." Grace responds. _Jesus, is she working a sex ring? You know these jobs are not legitimate._

"So, you are helping Scott?" I ask.

"Yes, of course." Elena responds, frustrated by my questions.

"He seemed to listen to you very well. You must whip him into shape." I said, hopefully catching the double meaning.

"Ana." Christian says with a warning tone.

"I just mean he was a very good assistant. Doing exactly what you say Elena, at any cost or consequences. How is he?"

"He is fine." Changing the subject, Elena tells Grace dinner is delicious. Grace thanks her for her compliment. But I am not done yet. This could very well hurt Christian, but I want him to hear her side of what their relationship was like.

"So Grace, how did you and Elena meet?" I ask. "I never heard the story."

"Not much of a story. I was just starting Coping Together, this was right after we adopted Christian and moved to Seattle. I was trying to recruit many of the wives in our neighborhood to come and volunteer their time to help me organize fundraising events. Many women didn't seem interested, except for Elena, who offered her time during one of our luncheons. We knew of each other, being in the same circles, but it wasn't until she volunteered to help that we became friends." Grace smiles at Elena.

"It is nothing Grace, I enjoy helping out. You have been such a great friend to me over the years. Never judging me or treating me differently even though I am nothing like those other wives," she says wiping a tear away. _And the Oscar, I mean, Razzy goes to….Elena Lincoln._

"Of course." Grace reaches out to grab her hand and squeeze it thoughtfully. I can see Christian's eye roll, as he sags in his dinning chair further. "I should be thanking you for the way you helped Christian."

"How did Elena help Christian?" Kate casually says. I could kiss Kate for asking that question. If I ask, Christian knowns I am starting trouble. By her asking, it is genuine curiosity.

"It was nothing." Elena says, brushing the question off.

"Nonsense. Christina was somewhat of a…wild teenager."

"He was a pain in the ass." Carrick jokes. "The perfect example of a bad boy. The girls loved him." Carrick winks at Christian. Christian stares at his plate, shaking his head in response.

"Well, Elena helped by giving him work to do, virtually being her housekeeper around their house, their handyman, gardner, and pool boy; all kinds of manual labor. I couldn't really do that, since we had a housekeeper and staff. Also, he wouldn't really respond to our punishments. He would do the punishment and then get right back in trouble. I wanted to help him more emotionally. I probably mother him too much, but I love him, like all my children." Grace responds, lovingly looking at all her children. They smile in response, but Christian's smile looks forced. "Christian did not like going either, for a while; always fighting me about it or lying about having something else to do. Remember Christian?" She asks. He nods his head solemnly. "But I kept pushing you to go, knowing how good it was for you to learn responsibility. Christian did this until he went to college, and he has been better ever sense." Grace grabs Christian's hand to squeeze, but he responds by removing his hand. I can see Christian is not pleased by how Grace sees his and Elena's relationship. "Sweetheart, are you ok?" Grace asks Christian.

"Fine mom. So Elena, does Scott assist you like I did?" Christian asks, surprised by the fact he would ask Elena something so bluntly.

"Not exactly…but similar." Elena cautiously asks. "Scott was hired. Christian, you volunteered, remember?" _Wow. Like he had a choice when his mother was sending him to you, and you offering him sex like it was meaningless._

Everyone at the table is watching the conversation like it is a tennis match, looking back and forth between Kate, Elena, Grace and I. Christian is just staring at Elena, practically challenging her.

"I wanted to help you. I always want to help you."

"It seems weird to me." I reply.

"What do you mean?" Grace asks.

"It seems weird that an older woman would want to 'help' a teenage boy so much. I mean, if it was the reverse, people would think the man was molesting or raping the young girl."

"Ana! How dare you think that of Elena!" Grace yells, furiously looking at me. Everyone seems shocked at my comments, but more shocked at Grace's response. Now it is my turn to reveal my past.

"What! It is true! My mother's boyfriend wanted me to hang out with him all the time. Watching television with him, helping him make dinner or clean the house with him. I thought he was helping me, since I was so lonely, having no friends and being bullied in high school, but really he was waiting to get into my pants…and he did…a few times." Everyone is looking at me with pity or sadness in their eyes, except for Kate, who looks surprised at my choice of telling everyone, and Christian, who is looking at me in awe. It is unfair for him to have to reveal his past by himself. So I decided to reveal my past too. "So don't try to tell me that a teenager hanging out at an another adult's house alone isn't weird." Elena and surprisingly Andrew are both looking guilty. _Great! What has the pevert husband done?_

"I am so sorry that happened to you, but please don't associate the abuse fyou suffered rom your mother's boyfriend with Christian and Elena's relationship. I can understand how it is hard to believe, but it is true. They did not have an inappropriate relationship." Grace says to me sternly but sympathetically, trying not to hurt my feelings.

"So you can honestly say nothing happened between you and Christian?" I ask, looking directly at Elena.

"Ana, please?!" Grace pleads.

"Please, just answer my question, to help me understand, help me believe a relationship like that can be a good thing." Now everyone is looking at Elena, waiting for her response. Christian seems to be most anticipating what she is going tos ay.

"If it would calm you down, Elena, please answer her." Grace asks.

Looking right back at me, without even hesitating, Elena responds, "Nothing ever happened between Christian and I, like what you experienced when you were a teenager. I was helping Christian, and he wanted to help me," she says sincerely and with conviction.

"Maybe he was helping you, but you were hurting him, you conniving Bitch!" _That was all me, just taking credit right now_. Everyone looks dumbfounded by my words right now, except for Kate, who looks proud, and Christian, who is smiling, staring at his plate again.

"Ana! I cannot believe you can be so disrespectful!" Grace is practically yelling at me, chastising me like a child. "I would have you thrown out of the house, but it seems like your own past is influencing inappropriate thoughts on Christian's life! Still, you have no right!"

"But she does." Christian casually responds with a smirk on his face and a glee in his eye. He is chuckling. _He finally speaks._

"Christian? What do you mean?"

"She does mom. Ana has every right to say that. Elena is a bitch, Elena is a conniving bitch," Christian says actually laughing at his comments. Grace looks like she is about to lose her mind. Carrick looks absolutely bewildered. Elena looks furious, while her husband looks scared for his life. Kate and I are looking at each other, mentally thinking our plan is working. And poor Elliot and Mia look like they are not even a part of this craziness, like they are watching a movie of their lives; absolutely astonished.

"Christian! I don't know what has come over you and especially Ana! Apologize to Elena right now!" Grace commands.

"No."

"Christian," Grace says, warning him now.

"No!"

"And why not?!" Grace commands slamming her hand on the table.

"Because! Because…."And he is looking around unsure what to do next, until he looks at me, and he sees in my face, I am here, reassuring him with my eyes that he can do this. I grab his hand and squeeze it. He physically calms down. He finally turns to his mother. "Ana and I are aren't that different. Elena and I had a sexual relationship when I was 15, and it didn't end till I was 21." Everyone gasps at the table, except for me. I hang my head low, knowing I caused this, but it was the only way to get Christian to say something to his family about Elena in front of her. I knew he would defend me.

"What?" Grace responds, barely in a whisper.

"Grace, it is obvious Ana is manipulating Christian." Elena responds. "Remember how I-"

"QUIET!" Grace commands silencing the room. It seems as though people do not want to mess with an angry Grace because there is not a sound in the entire house. "What do you mean Christian?" giving Christian the floor to speak.

Christian grabs my hand looking only at me as he tells his story. "The first time I went to Elena's house, I was mowing the backyard lawn. She asked if I wanted to take a break and have some lemonade. I agreed. I came into the kitchen to drink some lemonade, when I was confronted with Elena only in a robe. She took the lemonade out of my hand and slapped me. Told me to never act up with my parents again. She then…unbuttoned my pants, and...grabbed…my crotch... She stroke me. She unzip my jeans, and stroke me, while…using my hand... to touch her," he reluctantly stutters out. I can see his eyes begin to water, since he never looked away from me.

"Oh my god." Grace said, completely distraught, hanging her head low.

"Christian, please! Stop making up these lies. Ana is manipulating you, making you think what happened to her, happened to you." Elena pleads, almost making me believe her.

"Well we didn't exactly have the same experience. Considering you attempted to try to teach me BDSM, when really you were sexually abusing me." Christian says looking straight at Elena.

"I was teaching you control." She states.

"You hit me with belts and canes! I did not even know about safe words or being able to tell you to stop!"

"I wasn't hurting you."

"You threatened to touch my chest! And one time you did, out of punishment!"

"I was helping you."

"You were sexually abusing me!"

"I didn't have sex with you."

"Not until I wanted to become a Dom, and I guess lucky for you, I was of legal age by then. It was stupid to think you could teach me to be a Dom, considering you know nothing about BDSM."

"Elena! How dare you cheat on me…with a child!" Andrew finally pipes up, completely sounding fake though.

"Oh shut up! You didn't give a shit what was happening in our house, as long as you had your young whores at work." Elena yells back.

"Enough! I had enough!" Grace yells. Slowly rising up from her chair. "I trusted you."

"Grace, please, you know how bad Christian was. I was helping him." Elena tries to defend herself, but it doesn't work.

"I send him off all those times to your house, ignoring his pleas to stay home, only because you convinced me he was getting better!"

"He was Grace. His grades were improving; he stopped fighting at school. He stopped drinking heavly."

"Only because as your submissive, I was doing everything in my power to not get punished, not get abused or hurt, not because I wanted to please you!" Christian responds, still holding my hand tightly.

"Get out." Grace commands quietly.

"Please, Grace," Elena says, rising from her chair, so she can be at eye level with Grace. "I never had sex with your son when he was a teenager. I was helping him to learn how to control his anger with BDSM. Look how successful he is, because of-" And suddenly Grace punches Elena, right in the noise. She falls right onto Andrew, who couldn't catch her in time, so they both fall on the floor. Everyone stands up at the craziness that just happened. Christian grabs his mother, holding her back.

"I am suing you for harassment!" Elena yells, trying to get back up, covering her bloody nose.

"And if you do, we will ruin you." Carrick responds in a deathly tone. This whole time, Carrick was processing what he just heard, but I can tell now, his anger has completely boiled over. "Get out!"

"Don't you threaten my wife!" Andrew yells back. Briefly hearing about his cheating ways, it doesn't seem like he would really physically defend Elena, if he had to.

"Get out, now! Or I will give you a bloody nose as well Andrew." With that, Andrew grabs Elena's arm, only for her to refuse his hold. They are walking away, but are stopped by Carrick. "By the way, the deal is off." They continue to walk out, finally hearing the front door slam closed. Christian finally lets go of his mother. Everyone is looking at each other at the table and the blood on the carpet, unsure what to do, except for Christian who looks relieved, and Grace and Carrick, who look defeated. Grace sits down, following Carrick.

"We are going to finish our family dinner, by having dessert." Grace commands. Grace calls out to her housekeeper for dessert. "You will all enjoy it. I made pecan pie from scratch, getting ready for the holidays. I was hoping we could do something different then our usual pumpkin…." And that does it, Grace has let go, and is now full out crying. "I'm sorry, I am so sorry." She pleads, while Christian goes to her and wraps her around his chest. She cries harder with his sentiment. Carrick comes around to take Grace away from him.

"Let's talk in your office." Christian offers to Carrick. He nods his head, squeezing Christian's shoulder, a gesture showing his apology as well.

"I think I should go too. I have something to say as well." Elliot responds, looking full of sorrow and guilt himself.

"I want to go too." Mia says, barely in a whisper, with tears in her eyes. Grace has not stop crying, as she clings to Carrick. The five of them walk to the office, hopefully to have the family discussion they never had. The desserts come out, but the housekeeper only gives Kate and I dessert, considering we are the only ones here.

I look to Kate and at last thank her.

"Thank me, no need. I am just glad it worked out….I didn't know how bad it was." Kate responds.

"It is pretty bad, but Christian is working to get better. This really helped."

"What are you going to do, now?"

"Be there for him." I pledge. I will be there for Christian, no matter what happens. But, I think this is the right step for our future together.

 **A/N: Hopefully will get another chapter out this weekend.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: Rated M for very mature.**

This has been one exhausting day. _Fuck this day!_

It's Friday, and I plan to stay with Christina for the weekend like usual. I let myself in his penthouse. He already knows I will be here, and Taylor made sure I would be able to enter safely. He had a stressful few days, and wanted to make sure I was going to be at his home this weekend.

I've been staying over on the weekends for the past couple of months. Ever since dinner at Christian's house and the altercation with Elaina, we've become closer. We don't talk about that night too much, but there has been a trust and comfort formed after that night. We have been there for each other when we need it the most. _The sex has been glorious as well._

I greet Gail, as she is making dinner. It smells absolutely delicious. She is making steak, mash potatoes, roasted brussels sprouts, and macaroni cheese. I offer to help. _Dear god, please say no. My feet are killing me._ But Gail declines, and shush me away. I told her I will be downstairs.

I am glad she didn't accept my offer feeling so stressed. _Then don't ask, Damn It!_ It would be nice if my inner voice didn't stress me out even more. _You're right, I'm exhausted being a bitch._

I had a long day working with AMC. We are getting so many requests for expansions, I'm starting to feel overwhelmed. I am having trouble wrapping my head with who would be best to manage a restaurant/movie theater. People who requested a franchise are either good at the restaurant part or the movie theater part, but not both. So it is difficult to allow them to manage such a huge business. I had to even turn people down, and experienced altercations because of it. _We can't ruin the company, so fuck 'em._ Business is making the right economic decision despite people's feelings, and I have to keep reminding myself of that.

I head towards Christian's pool, wanting to relax in the water and enjoy the beauty of the evening. This is becoming my favorite room because of the floor to ceiling windows, the calming cool water, the perfect temperature and the view of Downtown Seattle. It is a way to enjoy a Seattle summer throughout the year. When I arrive, I realize I don't have a swimsuit. I should really leave one down here. I have been here enough times. I look through Christian's cabinets and drawers to see if he has any available, but he doesn't, only swim trunks.

I slip off my heels and decide to dip my toes instead, as I watch the Seattle skyline. While this is calming, this isn't enough. I want to jump in the water. I want to splash around and have some fun. I want to forget about my responsibilities for a little while. _You only got one choice, skinny-dipping!_

I have never skinny-dip, but it's not like I should worry about people seeing me. I'm in Christian's home, and it's private. Why not? Being with Christian has allowed me the freedom to be the person I want to be.

I unbutton my blouse, remove my skirt, unpin my hair and take off my undergarments. I place my clothes in a lounge chair nearby. I grab one of the towels and place it near the pool. _Lock the door! We're crazy, not stupid._ Right. I run to lock the pool door so no one can come in.

I am completely naked and feeling free. So instead of walking in the pool, I run and jump. I make a big splash, and I feel like a kid again. I swim a few laps, loving the feel of the water on my naked body. I can't help but feel a little turned on. _You are wet. I couldn't help myself._

I take a break, leaning against the pool edge to look out the window, watching the sun disappear. The pool lights slowly turn on, as the day becomes night. I'm feeling content, only thinking about how lucky I am to be in this moment.

"Good Evening Ms. Steele." I quickly turn and see Christian is standing in his dark blue work suit, carefully watching me. I have no clue how long he's been in here.

"Oh, I didn't hear you come in. I should've checked the time. I have no clue how long I've been in here. I only wanted some privacy for a little while. "

"Is that why you locked the door?" I swim closer to him on to his side of the pool, and he kneels in front of me.

"I didn't want anyone to come in, considering…"

"You're naked." He remarks, pleased with the way I look. I nod. "You forgot one thing." He points to the corner. I look and am unsure what he is talking about. I wipe my face off and I look closer. It's a camera. _Ooooops._

"Oh my god. I'm so sorry. I'm so embarrassed. I didn't know. Oh my god." I cover my face, completely ashamed. I forgot he has security cameras in about every room.

Christian removes my hands, and lifts my chin up, so I am looking at him closely. "Don't worry about it. Taylor was smart enough to turn off the camera the moment he realized what you were doing. But when he told me, I had good reason to get the hell off work you naughty girl." I bite my lip with his remarks. I'm glad no one got see my naked body. That's only for Christian.

I decide to be bold, and swim to the steps, where I carefully walk out. Christian stands, watching me on full display for him. "I could be naughtier for you if you want."

"What could a wet Anastasia do?"

"I have an idea." I kneel before him without losing eye contact. I unbuckle his belt, unzip his pants, and lower them so I can release his hard erection. "How was your day?" I ask. This is something we started doing, talking about our stressful day, while giving each other oral sex. It is relaxing way to get out our frustrations.

"It was shit." He remarks, but moans, as I lightly wrap my fingers around the head of his shaft. With my other hand, I start tracing his length, touching him up and down with my fingers, feeling his hardness. I thought I would never like giving a blowjob, but with Christian, I feel like I get to explore him. I am amazed how hard he gets, despite having a soft exterior. It ends up turning me on.

"I lost a deal to an arrogant asshole." I tighten my fingers around his cock, and slowly jerk him. "He rather see his company fall apart, then recognize his failure." I opened my mouth wide and let him fill it with his erection. I close my eyes and inhale deeply. "Fuck." Slowly, I push my head further until I feel him at the back of my throat. "I try to convince him to take the deal, but I failed." I go into a bobbing rhythm, taking him long and deep. "He kept asking for more money, and I wasn't going to give in." I continue to stroke the base making sure his entire manhood is taken care of.

"Elena is suing me, but you already knew this." I moan against his manhood, and decide to cup his balls, gently massaging them. I know he is furious about Elena, and I try to calm him down. He firmly grabs my head, to increase the motion. "She has a case for wrongfully terminating our contract with her salons, luckily her reason is not the best. The lawsuit could still work with the right judge." I swallow when the tip of his cock is near my throat just the way he likes it, and he groans in response. "I'm scared. I'm not going to lie, but I am going to fight her. She will not ruin me. She will not ruin us." I slow down my thrust, and swallow every time he hits the back of my throat. I can feel him losing control, as he tightens his hand in my hair.

"That's it. I'm going to come." I repeat my rhythm, stroking him with my mouth, swallowing, and groping his balls. What finally gets him is when I reach behind him and pinch his ass. It is enough for him to come. I swallow everything he gives me, and look up at him in the process. When he is done, I release him, and put his underwear and pants back on, despite being wet.

"Thank you Anastasia." He helps me stand up, despite being wobbly, and I hug him.

"No matter what happens, Elena will never win." I kiss him to make sure he knows I am telling the truth. "You feel better?"

He lifts me up and I wrap my legs around his waist. He lays me on a white cushioned lounge chair, stretching my legs so they rest on the armrests beside me. "Not yet, but I will be." He goes down on me, "How was your day?" He takes a long lick of my very wet pussy, providing me with an orgasm as I tell him about my day. That was the beginning of our very naughty night.

~oOo~

"I think we should discuss the sex contract." I look up at him, surprise after finishing my dinner. I am in a robe and Christian is in his underwear as we drink white wine and enjoy the dinner Gail made us. Everyone left for the night, so it is only the two of us.

"Really? Are you sure?" This is the first time he ever brought up the sex contract. I have been bringing it up almost every weekend. _More like me, but I am glad we agree on something._

Christian keeps pushing it aside, fighting the idea of me being his submissive and moving on from BDSM. I keep telling him it is not about me being his submissive, but exploring the different sex activities he knows he wants to do with me.

"I'm sure. After recent events, I think it would be good for us to indulge in some kinky fuckery." I can't help but clench my thighs together, feeling aroused, thinking about all the wonderful things we could do together. I never had a sex life before Christian. Too afraid to enjoy sex after everything that happened when I was a teenager. Now that I am with Christian, I want to explore all kinds of crazy, sexy things. "But no BDSM. I don't want you to be my submissive."

I feel a little disappointed. "Isn't the whole point of having a contract is to review and negotiate the terms of the deal?"

"Yes, and one of my deal breakers is BDSM. You're better than that." I blush at the sentiment. I know he doesn't want to hurt me, but there are some aspects I want to do with him.

"Before you make a final decision, let us discuss what we want first."

"Fine. I suspect you already have a contract written up." I nod. "Then go ahead and get it. Let's look it over." I can't help but squeal, and run to my suitcase. I grab the contract to bring it back to the dining room. "I hope you don't carry that wherever you go."

"No, of course not. Only on the weekends, when I know I'm going to see you." I slide him a copy.

He looks over the rather thick contract, placed in a binder. "Is this a sex contract or a book?" he jokes.

"It's a contract. Don't make fun of me. I wanted to make sure I was thorough." He nods, and looks at me rather amused.

He starts reading. I try to make it specific and not be shy by the things I wanted to do. If I am going to do these sex activities, I should be able to write them down.

I see Christian reading the contract rather quickly. He clears his throat and shakes his head a couple of times. He even looks at me rather astonished, concerned and determined. I even saw him adjust himself. When he is finally done, he closes the contract, leans back in his chair, crosses his arms over his naked chest, and looks at me. I can feel my heart racing. Maybe he thinks I'm a freak. _How the hell can we out freak the King of Freaky?_

I can't stand the silence. "Well, what do you think?" I nervously ask. "If it is too much, you can tell me. Or maybe you don't want to do that stuff. Maybe you want to do other stuff. I'm up for almost anything."

"Come here." I get up and walk across the table on his side, so I'm standing next to him. He stands up to his full height, and untie my robe. He takes it off of me, and lay it on a chair. "You won't be needing this." I am completely naked in front of him once again. He bends down and throws me over his shoulder. I yelp, in glee and giggle, as he walks me over to the stairs. He smacks my ass and tells me, "Quiet." I silence my excitement, but I can't help but feel exhilarated by what is to come. _We're going to the playroom! We're finally going into the playroom._

He walks to the locked door, and enters in the code. He opens the door, turns on the light and closes the door. He sets me down on the bed covered in red silk sheets. He moves back and sits on the couch facing the bed. "Look around. If you so sure you want this, I want you to explore the room. Find something you want to use. Show me what you are willing to do."

I slowly get up, trying to gain the confidence to do what he says. _We can do this, just focus. What do you want to do first?_ I look around the room and see there are contraptions and sexual tools all around the room. Things I am not sure how to use, but look interesting. I avoid those, since Christian would have to teach me how to use them. I don't see belts, whips, or canes, but I am pretty sure Christian got rid of them a while ago. I enjoy the silky sheets on the bed, so I think about what I can do here.

I go to a beautifully crafted wooden red dresser. I open the drawers to explore the different items that are in it. He has a lot of toys. I can't help but be aroused by so many sex toys for women. I am not quite sure how he separated them, and I don't know what they all do, but I grab a few things.

I can tell Christian is watching me intently, and I try to hide my nerves. I expected our first time he would be in control. I am not experienced at all in kinky sex. He probably thinks I only suggest those things in the contract to please him, but I really do want to do them. I want to do the things I never could before I met Christian. I trust him with my sex life. I know I have to prove that to Christian first.

I place the toys and tools on the bed. I also lay some towels down because it might get messy. Christian has not stopped looking at me as I put everything together.

"I am going to need your help with some of this stuff." He nods and approaches me like he wants to jump me right then and there. I can tell he has a raging hard on, but he is patient.

"Before I start, may I make a suggestion."he offers.

"Please do."

He picks up one of the sex toys, "I don't think your pretty ass is ready for this." He then puts it back in the dresser.

I blush, slightly embarrassed. "I didn't know."

"Don't be shy now. I like your ambition." I giggle and am glad he doesn't mind my innocence. "What would you like me to do Ms. Steele? I'm all yours."

I lay on the bed and spread my legs. "Could you strap my ankles and wrist to the bed please?" He does what I say, wrapping my ankles and wrist with the leather straps attached to the four poster bed. He quickly pulls my body down a little, to reach the ankle straps. I can't help but yelp, and he's amused by my reaction. "Make sure the straps are tight." I request.

"Yes Ma'am." He adjust the straps so my arms are trapped and my legs are spread wide open for him.

"Ok," I huff out a breath, feeling nervous, but Christian does not push me. "Could you please take the vibrator with the remote, and stick it inside me." Christian does what I say, sliding the vibrating egg inside me. I am so aroused, he is able to fit it in easily. He holds the remote in his hand. "Go ahead and turn it on high." He does, and my body starts to vibrate. I can't help but wiggle and moan in pleasure. I try to stay focus, but I am finding it difficult. What happened to my inner voice when I need her the most? _I was gone the moment we entered the playroom._

I can't concentrate, thinking about the pleasure too much. "Ana, what do you want me to do?" he asks, bringing me back to the original plan.

"I want you to shave my pussy." I whisper, trying to hold back my orgasm and embarrassment at the same time. I don't know where this idea came from. I keep my nether region cut short and clean. I only thought this would be hot, Christian doing something so personal, while trying to hold off an orgasm.

"Wait right here," he tells me, while winking.

He goes into the connected bathroom, and turns on the sink for some reason. I am trying so hard to hold off this orgasm, thinking about the most random unsexy things: sweat pants, burping, greasy food, toenails, Will Ferrell. Christian finally comes back. Thank god' I don't think my list was helping me.

He brought with him a washcloth, exfoliate, moisturizer and a small bucket of water. He was better prepared than I was. All I pulled out was a razor, a couple of towels and shaving cream. He places everything beside him. He puts a silk pillow under my lower back to lift me up in position and lays a towel under my legs. He kneels before me, looking at me like he is about to conduct surgery.

He soaks the washcloth in the bucket and wring the extra water out. He rubs my pussy with the warm washcloth, and I moan in pleasure as he moves the vibrator inside of me. He chuckles in the process, but continues his work. He shakes the shaving cream can, and spray some on his hand. He rubs his two hands together, and rubs the cream on my pussy with both hands. He makes sure I am completely covered. He wipes his hand off using the extra towels.

Christian bends down, so he is face to face with my vagina, takes the razor, and begins to shave. The vibration and Christian being so close to me increase the intensity of the experience. I start to shake. "Don't move sweetheart." I don't shake, now holding my orgasm and body still. He takes his time, shaving me slowly and gently. He moves the razor up my lips to my pelvis. Every time he is done with a section, he rubs that area clear, moving the vibrator.

I moan in ecstasy, happy that I am strapped to the bed because I am holding onto the straps for dear life. "I'm almost done sweetheart." He blows on the shaven skin, and checks the area with his fingers. I nearly come right then. He even reaches behind me to my ass, circling my little hole with his finger. I gasp in surprise. "Next time," he promises.

He exfoliates the area, using a sugar scrub. Every time he rubs the exfoliate, I am ready to burst, feeling the vibrator stirring with his hand motions. He rinse the area, pats dry with a towel, and moisturizes my pussy.

I can't take it anymore, "Christian!"

"Come for me Ana," he demands, as his fingers move fast over the hard bud of my clit. I shudder, and cry out with pleasure. I bite my lip to keep from crying as I come. My thighs were so taut, I started to tremble. My body quivers with my climax, as I finally came. I could feel my arousal soaking beneath me. I never climaxed that hard with a vibrator.

Christian cleaned up afterwards. I couldn't talk as my breathing returned to normal and my heart returned to a normal pace. My thighs finally relaxed, even if I was still stretched out for him. Everything was smooth, swollen, and slick as Christian turns off and remove the vibrator.

"Now, it's your turn." I breathlessly tell him. He has a pleased looked, wondering what I have in store. "Go ahead and grab the shock therapy massager." I have seen this used to release tension in people's backs. There are pads to place on different parts of your body, and they send electric vibrations to the different areas. They tense and relax your body with each shock. There are different levels, and I am not sure which one to use.

"Can you please place the four massaging pads on my pussy?" Christian nods his head, impressed. I wonder if he ever done this before. He carefully places the pads on my newly shaven womanhood. They won't all fit, so he places two on my inner thighs. Smart. "Okay… I want you to fuck me while the massager is on." Christian literally growls. His erection is starting to look painful, ready to burst out of his boxers.

He moves briskly, removing his boxers, and kneeling between my thighs. He shifts forward, and press his substantial manhood into my flesh. He turns the machine on, and press forward all the way in me. "Ohhhh!" I cried feeling myself stretch and an electrical vibration send straight to my pussy at the same time. It was an intense pressure, and I could barely stand it. "Oh Christian!" feeling him buried all the way inside of me with the shocks sends a vibration inside me to his cock. He is groaning in pain and pleasure similar to me. We're both panting in effort to control what we are feeling now. "Christian, please!" I beg, not sure for what though.

"Fuck." Christian gasp out, and it is like he comes to his senses. He reaches for the massager, and turns it down, so it is more of a vibration instead of a strong shock. I still grasp his cock, the fullness was so incredible, I could die.

Christian leans over me, and starts touching m y clit. "Oh yes!" He begins to move between my legs. He was making circles with his hips as he rubbed me. "It feels good," I whisper, but Christian looks too focused to respond. I feel the vibration spreading through my pelvis and my belly, while feeling him moving slowly in and out of me.

I look down and see where we were connecting, and was memorized to see we were both vibrating. I drop my head back, not able to comprehend what we were doing. He moves faster and deeper, much more in rhythm with the electric vibrations. "So tight. So good." I groan, and he pumps harder. Him rubbing my clit, fucking me, and feeling the vibrations is taking me to a place I could never imagine. He pounds me against the bed, grunting and moaning with every deep thrust. I respond to his power, and I am ready to let go. I close my eyes as we are taken over the edge. My pussy clenches around him hard as I climax, and I never felt anything better. He moans in ecstasy, thrusting a couple of times before he releases his cum inside of me.

He collapses on top of me completely exhausted by the intense sex we experienced. It is a little uncomfortable with the position I am in and the machine still sending vibrations to my pelvis. "Christian," I gasp out.

"Shit," he moans out, as he turns off the machine, and slips out of me turning on his back next to me. "Shit," he utters again, rubbing his face, shocked at what we just did.

When he comes to his senses, he gets up to unbuckle my ankle and wrist straps. I can't move, feeling completely out of it. He removes the massage pads, and picks me up bridal style. I wrap myself around him, as he carries me down to his bedroom. He lays me down on the cushy bed. I wouldn't mind staying in the playroom, but the sheets were wet and sticky. He briefly leaves me, but returns with a warm wash cloth, cleaning me up. I have yet to move during the after care, too drained to do anything.

When he's done, he takes the sheets and comforter and covers me. He lays next to me, cuddling me, massaging my wrist and kissing them. "Well?" I ask. "Will you sign the contract?"

He looks at me disbelievingly. "Sweetheart, I will sign my fucking life away if we keep having sex like that."

 **A/N: Don't call it a comeback. I been here for years.**

 **Sorry for the terrible delay. One year later, and I decide to update now. Shameful. It is partially because I wanted to reevaluate my writing style. I use to think long stories with loads of details was more interesting, and I had to put all my ideas in one fanfiction story. I decided that is silly. I have lots of ideas. Why not spread them out over several shorter stories. So I cut this story down by a lot. Instead of barely being close to the finish line, I would say I am half way.**

 **I do plan on finishing this story. I can understand for some people, they are done with it, but I am going to continue anyways for myself.**

 **I also plan on editing the other chapters this week. They are going to change, not in content, but with grammar and spelling. NO need to reread them.**

 **Thank you for sticking around, and hope you enjoy the rest.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13:**

"Yes, Oh Christian! Yes!" Christian is enthusiastically thrusting behind me. I'm on all fours, on Christian's bed, as he is fucking me, I think. _This is not love making, that's for sure._ This is as close to him dominating me, as he pulls my hair and slaps my ass a few times, thrusting deeply in me. I convinced him we had time for a quickie, and he is proving me right.

"You wanna be fucked, little girl?" I guess I was right. He runs his hand over the swell of my ass, teasing my hole. I can't help but clench around him with the unfamiliar sensation.

"Yes, Please!" I beg, wanting him to fuck me harder.

"Tell me!" He bites hard on my collarbone and licks the area in afterwards, as his breath becomes ragged.

Fuck me Christian! Fuck me hard! "Fuck me Christian. Fuck me hard." I whisper. I grab his hair, pulling him to me, but he presses my back to the bed, sticking my ass out for him. He grabs my hips, sliding his cock in deep, pressing me further in the bed with every thrust. He reaches under by belly, between my legs, and circle my clit with my fingers.

"Uh! Yes! Fuck me Christian! I've been a bad girl!" I pant, enjoying how big he feels from behind. He growls in response, and flexes his hard erection inside me. I am shaking, and can't hold the orgasm anymore as it rips through my body. My legs spasm, as I climax, feeling like I'm going to fall off the edge.

"I got you sweetheart," Christian says, hugging me from behind as my body calms down from such a powerful orgasm. I collapse on the bed with Christian slipping out of me. I know he hasn't finished, so I weakly turn around and spread my legs for him to continue. "No sweetheart. I don't want to exhaust you…yet." He strokes his cock a few times, and comes on my belly. I rub it all over myself, enjoying the warmth on my body. "Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. We just took a shower sweetheart." Christian says as he chuckles with my action. He leans over me and gives me a sweet kiss. "I guess a bath will have to do."

It is the night before Thanksgiving, and I'm at Christian's home. We are going to go to his family's house tonight. We plan to stay over their house Wednesday and Thursday night, leaving on Friday. We're suppose to wake up early on Thanksgiving to help cook. Grace typically cooks Thanksgiving dinner, making it more family oriented. She even lets her staff go home the whole week. Grace, Mia and I will be doing the majority of the cooking, since we are the chefs in the house. I convinced Kate to help, even though she has burnt food in the microwave. Originally Kate and Elliot were not going to come, staying with her parents instead, but she had a bad experience with Elliot meeting them beforehand, which she will tell me the story later.

Carrick's and Grace's mothers will make homemade pumpkin and sweet potato pie. No pecan pie. Too many bad Elena memories.

Carrick's mother lives in Washington, so her trip didn't take too long. She arrived yesterday. Grace's parents arrived in Seattle from Michigan last weekend. This will be my first time meeting them. I'm nervous about the Thanksgiving dinner, not because of meeting the grandparents. I've talked to them over the phone with Christian last week, and they seem lovely.

And not because of the one terrible Sunday dinner, where I caused a serious argument with Elena. Since then, the Grey family gotten closer, letting out their dirty laundry. Grace admits, she was happy Christian was getting better, ignoring he was uncomfortable. Carrick agreed, not really paying attention to the warning signs. Elliot admitted Elena came on to him when he was 16, and should've said something back then. He feels guilty, thinking if he said something in the beginning, nothing bad would've happened to his younger brother. Christian assured him, it wasn't his fault. Christian also admitted he never felt like it was abuse, only coming to realize it a couple of years ago. He felt like he was in control of his life, but really Elena was, providing him subs throughout his life and investing in his company. That is why he wanted to disconnect from her. Mia promised to be a better sister, thinking she has been selfish.

Overall, the family has grown closer, showing their love and devotion for each other. I've seen it, when we attend Sunday dinners.

One day, Grace asked me to lunch, requesting Kate to come along. Kate and I thought we were in trouble with the way we handled dinner with Elena. I had Grace come to my condo, so I can make lunch for us. The moment she entered, she greeted us with a hug, thanking us. She apologized for her behavior, but I assured her, she was doing the right thing at the time. We had a pleasant lunch, getting to know each other and better explaining ourselves. We told her about Elena's terrible behavior when we saw her at Neiman Marcus, leaving out the harassment. Grace was frustrated with herself not knowing the real Elena. We still had a lovely lunch and been friendly ever since.

The reason I am nervous about the Thanksgiving dinner is I recently conducted an interview that will be aired on Nightly News tonight. The whole family will be watching the interview after dinner, and I think I said something I shouldn't have. _Oh, you shouldn't had said it, that's for sure._

I was interviewed about what it was like being a business woman in Seattle, owning a successful franchise expanding the country. I didn't want to do it at first, but both Rachel and Kate insisted it would be great publicity for the company. Rachel also noted how there are not many female owners of large companies, and I could inspire other women. During the interview, I talked about how AMC started, what it's like managing it, and promoted AMC in general. I even had a cooking segment. I also said something about Christian that is going to make him mad. I hope he won't hate me.

We finish getting ready for our trip, and head out to the foyer. Taylor had the weekend off with Gail, but he didn't like how things went down at the Grey's house. So he decided for us to have 24 hour security, unsure what Elena will do to retaliate. Sawyer will be our security for the two days. I convinced Christian Sawyer should at least eat some Thanksgiving dinner, which he agreed to.

"Sawyer, we are ready to leave. Grab our bags...please" Christian commands. I never talked to him about being more polite. I say please and thank you so much with his staff, I think it is catching on.

"Yes sir." Sawyer picks up our bags in the foyer and heads to the elevator to open it. We follow him hand in hand.

"You have everything you need." Christian asks.

"Yep, sure do." I smile, but I am trying to hide my nerves..

"Don't be nervous about tonight. If my grandparents do not love you, I'm sure my mother will forcefully convince them." He chuckles.

"I'm not worried." I am just damn nervous about that interview. _You should be big mouth!_

~oOo~

We quickly arrive at the Grey's house, and our greated by a happy Grace, with her security guard, Reynolds nearby. "Christian, Ana, I am so happy to see you." She says hugging Christian and I. Reynolds and Sawyer nod in greeting, as Sawyer grabs our bags.

"Happy Thanksgiving Mother."

"Happy Thanksgiving to you son." She says gratefully. I can see such appreciation in her eyes. I think Grace thought she was going to lose Christian after everything that happened. What she didn't know was he thought the same thing in reverse. They care for each other so much. As we walk to the door, Grace has something to tell Christian, "As much as I love that you're protecting us from that she devil, it would be nice not to have our security tailing us like I'm planning to escape." Reynolds look down, embarrassed at her comment.

"I'll make sure he'll ease up," Christian promises, kissing his mother on the cheek, "a little bit."

I forgot to grab my chefs bag, and run back to the car. "I can grab your bag Ms…Ana." Sawyer, says reaching for my bag.

"No way, this is my special cooking bag. No one touches it except I." He quickly backs off. We enter in the foyer, Grace telling him where to put our luggage.

"I'm excited for your stuffing, candy yams, and stream bean casserole. When you told me the recipes the other day, I was practically drooling thinking about the different ways you plan to make the dishes." Grace tells me. I wanted to surprise them by doing a twist on the classic thanksgiving meal.

"Me too!" Mia says yelping, rushing into Christian arms to hug him. Luckily he catches her, chuckling at her enthusiasm. She abruptly stops, staring at Sawyer as he walks past us to put our luggage away. She is checking him out. Once she is done, she hugs me. "Hey boss!"

I officially hired Mia to be a sous chef at AMC Seattle. she is doing great already; lot more determined to be promoted, instead of finding a better job somewhere else like my previous sous chefs. I can see her being head chef in no time.

"Hey chef." I respond. "How are you?" I asks, as we walk into the family room. Christian and Grace have their own private conversation.

"Im great. I just got off my shift. I really like Jacob, but I like you better, when you are head chef." Jacob is the head chef, when I am not working.

"You're not sucking up to me, are you?" I ask, as we get comfortable on the couch

"No, he tells me what to do. You actually teach me."

"Jacob can be a little tough, but great at his job. He's one of the people I'm afraid of leaving."

"Really, how come?" Mia asks curiously, but I have a feeling she heard these rumors.

"Well, I have some chef friends from college I still connect with, and they told me he has been interviewing at a few places."

"Oh Ana, I'm sorry."

"I would hate to work more hours there, wanting to focus on the business. That is why I'm teaching you so much. More than normal sous chefs."

"Wait, what?...Really?!"

"Yep, I wouldn't give you the head chef job right away. Not till I think you're ready. But I want you prepared for it."

"Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god! Thank you!" She squeals, jumping into a hug.

"Nothing was promised." I say, laughing at her excitement. "You still have to earn it."

"I will, I swear Ana. I will do everything you want me to do. I will be really good, I promise."

"What are you excited about, baby Mia?" An older woman says, walking slowly next to Christian.

"Grandma, I might get a promotion at my job." Mia says, walking to her grandmother, helping her sit down in a lounge chair.

"Grandma, please meet Anastasia Steele, my girlfriend." I know this sounds crazy, but I don't think I ever heard Christian refer to me as his girlfriend. We act like boyfriend and girlfriend, but he always say my name when he introduces me. This is big. _Really big. You never been someone's girlfriend. Ever!_ "Ana, this is Betty Grey." I absolutely love her name.

"It is nice to meet you Mrs. Grey." I say, standing up to shake her hand.

"Please call me Betty," she says as she extends her arms out for a hug. I reply, bending down to give her a gentle hug.

"Are you picking on the new girl yet Betty." An older gentlemen yells with another older woman next to him, arm around his arm, and Carrick behind them.

"Thomas, stop. Don't being messing with Christian's girlfriend." The older woman says.

"she is too sweet to mess around with." Betty says, with a gentle smile.

I walk towards them, with Christian at my side. "Grandmother, Grandfather, this is Anastasia Steele, my girlfriend. Ana, this is Doctors Thomas and Caroline Trevelyan." I reach out to shake their hand.

"It is very nice to meet you," said Dr. Trevelyan.

"Ana is an owner of the movie café we went to the other day." Carrick proudly explains, while pouring some drinks at the bar.

"What a beautiful theater. It reminded me of an old theater Thomas and I went to when we were teenager." said Mrs. Trevelyan.

"Thank you Mrs. Trevelyan. I'm glad you found it beautiful." I politely respond.

"Much too loud for my taste." said Dr. Trevelyan, as he sits in the sofa chair, getting comfortable.

"Dad, be nice." Grace warns.

"Ignore him. Please, call us Carol and Thom by the way." Mrs. Trevelyan tells me, as she sits next to her husband.

"As long as you call me Ana." I respond, with a nervous giggle.

"Don't you worry. I'm not going to drive this one away. I'm happy my grandsons finally met beautiful ladies." Thom explains. I sit next to Mia, while Christian gets us drinks from Carrick. "Remember the one redheaded women Elliot brought over. She kept yapping about clothes."

"Easy now, she was a model. She liked clothes." Elliot says, as he walks in from the kitchen. "Hey Ana Banana." He leans over to give me a side hug.

"Hey El. Where's Kate, I thought she was with you?"

"She's in my room upstairs. We had…a disagreement."

"Woman troubles already grandson?" Thom chastises, while laughing.

"Nothing serious, pops. We're fine."

"I'll go check on her." I tell Elliot.

"Great, thanks Ana. She's in the my bedroom, first door on the left, upstairs." I go upstairs, following Elliot's directions. I knock on the door announcing my arrival. I enter, seeing Kate sitting on Elliot's bed, crying.

"Kate, what happened?" I rush over, wrapping my arm around her shoulders.

"Oh, it's nothing. I'm being ridiculous."

"I never seen you cry. I doubt you're crying for no reason."

"It's just, Elliot. He's being so fucking understanding, I can't take it!" _What? Ugh, women._

"You're going to have to help me understand." Kate clears her nose with her tissue, and wipe away her tears, before she explains.

"Last week, Elliot and I had dinner with my parents, and they were absolutely horrible towards him. My mother was acting like she didn't even want to be there, taking work calls the whole time. My father, kept dismissing Elliot's construction company as not stable work, the fucking company that does work nationally and will be internationally, when we begin work in Vancouver." _That's right! We are opening an AMC in Canada. So exciting._ Back to Kate.

"I know, I know, but why are you mad at Elliot."

"Because, he never got angry once. The whole time I was defending him, but he never interjected. He allowed them to insult him." She shakes her head in disbelief. "The worst is now, he thinks I should call my parents tomorrow, to at least say Happy Thanksgiving. He's insane!"

"Have you ever told him what it was like being Katherine Kavanagh?" She takes a moment to think about what I mean.

Kate has a weird combination of strict, but uninterested parents. Her father is an owner of several media companies in the country. Her mother is a famous fashion designer, working in New York majority of the time in a year. Her father wanted her to be the best at everything. Her mother expected her to act perfect. But they would send her away to boarding school and summer camp, never getting to know their daughter.

I knew what it is like to have a mother who didn't really care, but Kate's parents wins the award at being the worst. They hated she went into business with me, thinking it was a waste of time and money. Now, they think she's not doing enough marketing the company.

One time, Kate had a pregnancy scare when she was 22. When they found out, they prepared to disown her, contacting their lawyer to change their will. Luckily for Kate, the results of the pregnancy test was a false positive.

Their son, Ethan Kavanagh, was the perfect child in their eyes, managing one of his father's media companies. He is handsome and charming, a really sweet guy, but he spends his life working and impressing his father. Kate rarely sees him because he is working 70 hour work week. Kate doesn't want to be like him.

"No, I never told him what it's like." Kate admits.

"How come?"

"I don't know. Elliot had such a rough start, not having a mother who wanted him. He's so grateful for his parents adopting him. I'm afraid he'll think I'm overreacting. I still lived a privileged life-"

"That was completely lacking of love. You should tell him. Let him get to know the ungrateful Katherine Kavanagh." I joke.

"The one who never met expectations." She laughs with me.

"The one who was never enough, and always wanted too much."

"Oh! I _loved_ that 'compliment' coming from my mother." We laugh at the ridiculousness that are her parents. "I just hope-"

(CRASH! CRASH!)

Kate and I stand up, hearing the broken glass. We run down the stairs and see the two front windows are broken. Large bricks lay on the floor.

"Be careful of the glass girls." Grace says. Betty, Carol, Grace, and Mia are standing in the foyer. "You two go back into the living room. I don't want to you to get cut." She yells to Betty and Carol. Betty goes back to the living room, with Mia's help, but Carol is interrupted by her husband.

"Carol! Where's my shotgun?!" Thom asks from most likely the guest room.

"Thomas! Get back here, right now!" Carol demands, rushing to the guest room.

As Kate and I get closer, we see Carrick, Christian and Elliot are outside, talking to a young man, who is being held by Sawyer. Kate, Grace and I head outside to figure out what is going on. That is when I notice Reynolds outside, gun drawn, searching the front yard.

"Why did you break our windows?" Carrick asks.

"Go to hell!" The young man, who barely look like he's 20, yells back.

"How about you go to jail for the next few nights, as we charge you for breaking and entering. Elliot, call the police." Elliot immediately gets out his phone.

"Bull shit! I never entered! Besides, it's that whores fault. She brought this on you!" He spits out, looking straight at me. Sawyer twist his arm a little too tightly, resulting in him groaning in pain.

"What did you say?" Christian asks in an intense tone, moving between me and the crazy young man.

"You heard me! If your little slut kept her fucking mouth shut, nothing would've happened." The young man declares.

"We're now charging you for threatening my family." Carrick declares.

"Fuck you old man! It'll never stick!"

"Try me. I'm one of the best lawyers in the country. I also have you for attempted assault, since you were trying to hurt my family."

"Did Elena tell you to do this?" I suddenly asks. His smirk says it all.

"Get this asshole off my property!" Carrick commands Sawyer.

"My pleasure, sir." He walks away with the young man to the sidewalk, waiting for the police.

"I'll wait for the cops to pick him up." Carrick states.

"I will too." Elliot declares.

"Me too." Kate says, walking to Elliot, grasping his hand. He seems pleased with her gesture. Christian wraps his arm around me, directing me back inside the house.

"I'm sorry. There must have been a better way for me to handle all this. I shouldn't antagonize her, made her so-" Christian abruptly stops me, grabbing my shoulders, and looking right at me sternly.

"What is it you tell me every time I apologize for Elena's bad behavior."

"Don't apologize for her, ever." I remember.

"Take your advice." He wraps his arms back around me walking into the foyer. "I'll get someone to fix the window tonight mom."

"Please, don't worry Christian. We can cover the window with some boards." Grace and Mia finish picking up all the glass.

"Reynolds!" Christian yells out. He quickly appears.

"Yes sir."

"Go out to the shed, in the backyard. We should have some wood in there. Board up the windows from the outside and inside. The tools should be in that shed as well."

"Yes sir." Reynolds rushes out to do his job. Christian gets on his phone.

"Taylor. Sorry to bother you but someone tried to break into my parents' house….Yes, I want more security at their house tonight!...Get some of GEH security over here then!...Fine! But I want full time security here by Friday morning." Grace walks in watching Christian pace the foyer. "Good. I'll talk to you Friday." He hangs up, only to call someone else. "Welch, I need anything and everything you can get on Elena Lincoln! All her associates, her business connections, any illegal activity, everything! I want it by Friday!...Good! I also want someone watching her immediately….I don't care what you have to do, just do it!..." He then hangs up on Welch. This is what Christian is like in the office, except he sounds much more worried now.

"You think Elena did this?" Grace carefully asks.

"When Ana asked the...assailant if Elena told him to do this, his face told me enough." Christian responds.

"How can I be such a fool." She shakes her head.

"Before you go there, I'm taking some very good advice." I tell her.

"That is?"

"Don't ever blame yourself for Elena Lincoln's behavior."

~oOo~

We finished a lovely dinner of steak and lobster with garlic mash potatoes and sautéed brussel sprouts. The meal was absolutely perfect. We were all too full to start eating the dessert Carol and Betty made.

The incident from earlier luckily didn't ruin our night. Carrick talked to the police about the young man, name known now as Craig David. He will be sitting in jail until he can post bail, which will be most likely till Monday because of the Holiday.

"We better head into the movie room. Ana's interview is going to start soon." Grace points out, as we place the dishes in the kitchen. We'll finish cleaning up later, forcing me to no longer avoid this interview.

"I'm much too tired sweetie, but I'll watch the tape tomorrow morning." Betty promises to me. Thom and Carol also decide to head to bed, which I am grateful for. I don't want them to see my stupidity.

Thankfully, everyone had a few drinks, except for Christian. He seems to still be on high alert. Reynolds and two other security sent by Taylor are securing the house outside, while Sawyer made sure the inside is secure. I think everyone feels safe, but Christian still can't relax after what happened, which doesn't help me at all.

"Everyone doesn't have to watch, it's really nothing." I try to persuade, as we enter in the movie room.

The room is setup with three large couches, each on different levels, all facing a large projection screen. This is going to be even more embarrassing seeing my big face on a large screen, but at least I don't have to see their reaction. Everyone ignore my comment, getting comfortable on the many couches in the movie room.

"Don't be ridiculous, this is going to be awesome." Mia excitedly tells me. I sit at the back of the room, with Christian. Carrick and Grace sit in the middle couch, with Mia next to them. Elliot and Kate are snuggling in the front, at the bottom level.

"Carrick, help me turn this on." Grace asks, as she struggles pushing the remote buttons.

"Maybe it won't work." I hope.

"Got it!" Carrick says happily, looking back at me very pleased. "What channel will the Nightly News be on?"

"I don't remember." I lie.

"Channel 10." Kate says with no hesitation. Carrick changes the channel to 10, and commercials are still showing. I slump down in the couch, already feeling mortified, even though Christian has his arm around me. He looks pleased with himself. He finally looks relaxed.

"What?" I ask, confused by the change of his mood.

"Nothing, just remembering something Rachel Walker told me."

"What is it?" Suddenly feeling even more nervous.

"Nothing you need to worry about." He tells me, displaying his sexy grin. It doesn't turn me on as it usually does, feeling like he's going to hate me in less than 60 minutes.

"Oh Ana, there you are!" Grace points out, as the Nightly News begin showing a short clip of my interview that is to come. "Ana, you look so lovely."

"I picked that outfit. I was going for strong business woman with a touch of cuteness." Kate explains.

"Good choice." said Grace.

We sit through thirty minutes of current news. We all comment about the topics, and Elliot makes an inappropriate joke about Putin's name. I'm sitting quietly becoming more nervous by the minute.

"Something wrong sweetheart?" Christian asks, as I fiddle with my fingers, biting my lip. "Don't bite your lip, you know what I like to do with that lip." He whispers in my ear. I stop biting it, giggling at his dirty comments.

"Nothing wrong. Just remember, these shows edit things weirdly. Something I said, may not be what I actually meant."

"Oh? Should I be worried?" He asks.

"No, just don't hate me, ok?"

"I can't hate you Ana, never." He kisses the side of my head. I hope what he says is true.

My segment is finally on, and I'm ready to throw up.

Announcer: This is Karen Walter, with a special report.

Karen Walter: Good evening. Tonight, I sit down with Anastasia Steele, the owner of the up and coming Annie's Movie Café, or AMC, one of the hottest spots to dine and watch movies. We discussed what it's like to be an owner of such a growing franchise, see her cook one of her delicious dishes and even discuss her love life.

 _Here we go._ We all watch the segment, which shows clips of AMC inside and out, me describing what AMC is and how fantastic it is.

"This makes AMC look so cool. I love it!" Kate announces. It does make AMC look good. The questions are coming fast and are easy, thus far.

Karen Walter: So what is it like to be a female owner of such a successful business.

Ana: I would like to think the same as being a man of a successful business. Maybe a little better. (Karen Walter and Ana laugh.)

Karen Walter: How could it be better?

Ana: Lot of people were surprised a woman like me could grow the company so quickly, but I believed in myself from the beginning. I had my doubts, like any normal person, but the moment I received the investment from Christian Grey, I knew I could make AMC successful. (Ana smiles gratefully.)

I look over at Christian, and he is watching the show with that sexy smirk still on his face. _You will sadly be wiping off that smirk soon._

The show goes into the cooking segment. I walk into AMC Seattle's kitchen, and show how the food is cook. I demonstrate how to make potato skins chips, topped with red onion, fried bacon, red and yellow peppers, spicy jalapeno peppers, and assortment of cheeses.

Karen Walter: So that's all it takes to make some delicious potato skins.

Ana: Yep, that is all it takes. My boyfriend, Christian loves them.

 _And so it begins._

Karen Walter: Christian?

Ana: Yeah, Christian Grey. (Ana looks like she surprised he had to say his full name.) When I'm feeling extra sweet, I'll make them for him for lunch. They are extra good after a long night of love making. It helps keeps the energy up. (Ana bends down to place the potato skins in the oven.)

Elliot laughs, hard. I groan, burying my face in my hands. The cameras were hidden in the loud, crowded kitchen, and I forgot I was wearing my microphone. I wasn't thinking this was all being recorded. _Maybe you can blame the fumes for getting you high._

Karen Walter: Really? You and Christian?

Ana: Well, yeah. (Ana looks at Karen strangely.)

I forgot Christian and I have been keeping our relationship private. He constantly has the media's attention. I remember he told me once, when he is with me, he doesn't have to worry about what the outside world thinks of him because he has me.

Karen Walter: What else do you and Christian like to do alone?

Ana: None I can tell you. (Ana winks.) Let's just say, I need a lot of potato skins after a night with Christian. (Ana giggles.)

Everyone gasps around the room. _Hey, at least you didn't describe how you like to give him head._

"Oh Ana." Kate says, shaking her head, giggling at my remarks. El is the only one who is relentlessly laughing at me. I try to curl up in a ball, mortified, knowing I'm not done putting my foot in my mouth. _Maybe if you become really small, you will be able to roll right out of the room._

Karen Walter: It sounds like you're close to Christian.

Ana: We are. I love doing things with him. I love doing things to him. (Ana winks.) I love being with him. I love...him. (Ana pulls out the potato skins to check if they are done.)

"Holly shit?!" Kate yells.

Karen Walter: You love Christian Grey? (The reporter ask like she is having private female talk, as both her and Ana consume a potato skin.)

Ana: I do. What can I say, when you have a great career and a great personal life, you can't help but announce it to the world. I love Christian Grey! (Ana announces playfully.)

"Awww." Both Mia, Kate and Grace say together. Elliot is crouched over, laughing.

"El, it's not funny." Kate chastises. I'm too afraid to look at Christian, still burying my face in my lap.

The cooking segment ends with a lovely wrap-up of the interview, almost finishing off my embarrassment.

Karen Walter: I had such a lovely time with Anastasia Steele. She knows how to put a good dinner and movie together.

Male Co-host: I've been wanting to go to a place that has both. I love a good meal with my movie.

Karen Walter: AMC is a perfect place for that. The potato skins were delicious.

Male Co-host: I will have to get some potato skins for my wife. (Both laugh at the corny joke.)

Karen Walter: Oh Thom, stop. (Karen turns to the camera.) And sorry ladies, looks like the most eligible billionaire in the world is finally taken by the lovely Anastasia Steele.

Male Co-host: I think I just heard several women groan in sadness when she said he was her boyfriend. 

Karen Walter: More like groan in anger. (They both chuckle.)

Male Co-host: This is a lesson to all you women, the way to any man's heart is food...and something else. (Thom winks.)

Karen Walter: Oh Thom, seriously, stop. You're making us women blush. (They both continue to laugh.)

The reporters wrap up the newscast, say their goodbyes, and the show finally ends.

Everyone slowly turns towards me, looking shocked at what I said on national television. I hide my face in my shirt, absolutely embarrassed.

"I love you too." I slowly turn my head towards Christian, unsure if I heard him correctly.

"What?" I breathlessly asks.

"I love you Anastasia Steele, with all my heart."

"You don't hate me?"

"Never. Now everyone knows you are mine. And… Rachel told me what you said beforehand in a meeting earlier this week. I already knew you acknowledged our relationship...and other things, on national news." He begins to chuckle at my reaction along with Elliot and Carrick.

"Christian! You could of helped me out here. I thought you were going to break up with me."

"Certainly not." He moves to wrap his arm around me, kisses my forehead and brushes his lips against my own. I move closer to kiss him back.

"Awww," the ladies sing, giggling afterwards.

"Get a room!"

"Elliot, please!' Grace chastise El, once again.

I pull away from the kiss, when I feel my phone vibrate, practically ruining the moment. I look down to my phone to see who is calling. It's my mother. _The moment is definitely ruined._

 **A/N: This chapter has a little bit of describing what is on the television in 3rd person, and Ana's 1st person pov. Hopefully it is not too confusing. The word of their relationship will spread like wildfire. More to come soon.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14:**

"Ana, Ana, what is it like moving in with the richest man in the world?"

"Fun." I respond to the annoying paparazzi, trying to remain polite. It is the night before Christmas Eve, and I'm moving to Christian's home in Escala.

I've been on a crazy ride since the Nightly News report aired. Paparazzi have been following Christian and I non-stop. They are attempting to get the perfect or worst picture of us together. I've been struggling with the attention.

The news of our relationship makes it much more difficult to get around. I do not understand why we are considered famous, but there is an interests in our private lives and relationship. We received several requests for interviews. We are becoming royalty in the business world with our increasing success. We have a rags to riches type story, at least that's what Times magazine wrote on the front cover. It makes us both afraid how far the media will dig into our past, now they are so interested in us.

Luckily we have solid security around us. I have my personal bodyguard, specifically Sawyer, when I go out in public. My workplace is secure because GEH is considered private property. I do feel safe.

But the paparazzi like to hang out outside of Christian's penthouse and my condo though. So now we are moving in together. Christian says it is to better protect me, but I also think he is happy we will be living together. _I know I am._

I'm checking with the movers, making sure they have everything I need. The paparazzi are following my every move. There are only a handful of them, and luckily security, particularly Sawyer, are making sure there is a distance between me and them. Sawyer is my main security guard, but there are a few more security added on days like these. I try to ignore the paparazzi for the most part.

I go back up to my condo, making sure everything that is necessary is packed. I am making this my private office now, where I can cook dishes, have private meetings, and have business partners stay here if necessary. It was Christian's idea, which I was surprised he would want me to keep it, considering I could do everything at our offices in GEH. But he told me it is good to still have my own space to create and cook meals, which I do not have at GEH. So my furniture is staying, but I want to make sure my personal belongings are no longer here.

"I'm ready Sawyer. I want to change really quick." He nods, and forces the movers to leave the condo. Hopefully this will buy us some time.

I do not plan to head back to Escala. I'm going back to GEH. I have a few things to look over before Christmas. I already sent my employees away for the day, giving them Christmas Eve off, but we received several requests for AMCs franchises across the country. Some seem reliable, but most seem like people wanting to get into something while it's hot, not really capable to manage an AMC.

I never thought we were going to get so many requests all at once.I'm developing a plan on how we should filter these requests. This is how I envisioned AMC expanding, with people wanting to setup their own business that reflects their community, but still meet the standards of all AMCs.

I was also offered a television show. Apparently, I'm good on camera.

Christian and Karen Walker joined me for a meeting with the Food Network. Some program executives thought I did very well with my Nightly News segment, especially with the cooking segment. I apparently connected with the audience. They thought I would be great having my own cooking show. We can film it locally, incorporating AMC Seattle into the show. The title of the show would be 'Dinner and a Movie.' I would cook dishes based on upcoming movie releases. We would get sponsorship from the studios for advertisement and make dishes that would be considered easy to prepare for a movie night with family, friends or a significant other. It is what I partially do for AMC, so it makes sense. By the end of the meeting, I was laughing at how ridiculous the notion it would be to have my own show, but Christian and Rachel wanted me to take the offer seriously, considering it would be a great idea.

"It would be easy promotion for AMC." Rachel explained, after our meeting with Food Network Executives.

"It would increase your notary in the business world. We can make bigger deals, having food companies sponsor their products. Companies like doing business with someone who is nationally known." Christian added.

"I would get to do what I love the most, cook." I thought out loud.

"Let me look into the contract Food Network is willing to offer and see if it is even worth it. I can take charge of this. You won't have to think about it too much." Rachel offered.

"That would be great Ms. Walker." Christian acknowledged.

"Thank you Rachel."

Now Rachel is negotiating my terms, using local food, cooking my own recipes, being able to choose who is on the show, stuff like that. Who knows, maybe at the beginning of next year, I will have my own show. _My little girl is all grown up._

I finish changing, wearing a purple cap sleeve dress that reaches my knees. It is a tight dress, hugging my curves, showing off some cleavage, and is very inappropriate for business. I cover myself with a long rain coat to provide some modesty.

Christian also has to work late. He wants to be made available for the holidays as much as possible. I plan to make him a lovely Christmas Eve dinner, in sexy lingerie; an early Christmas present for him. Then on Christmas, we will be meeting up with our family, I mean Christian's family at the Grey's house for dinner. I plan to help cook again, so we will be meeting up early. For tonight, we are planning to meet at his office to have dinner. We are going to go back to work for a while, then go home, our home. _Sounds like music to my ears Steele._

Sawyer and I head to the back entrance of the condo, hoping the paparazzi won't see us. He already has his Audi SUV waiting. I still haven't purchased a new car, but it seems unnecessary. Even though my other car was repaired, Christian didn't want anyone to know that was my car, in case I am targeted again. So we donated the car to the Coping Together fund, which they then gave it away to a lucky family.

I have been working more with Coping Together. I sometimes think they could've helped me when I was younger. Instead of waiting for someone to rescue me, I could of ran to them and they would of helped me rebuild my life, like they have with so many other people. I have become an official caterer for Coping Together, volunteering my food services to any events or meetings they have. I might not have the fanciest food, but as Grace says, "You have everyone's favorite." It is a good way to train sous chefs, and it is the least that I can do.

Speaking of sous chefs, Mia Grey will be promoted by the end of March in the new year as acting chef of AMC Seattle. It seems like my head chef, Jacob, was not looking for a new job, but getting ready to open up his own restaurant in Seattle. He has found a place, and will be leaving us in March. I am disappointed he is leaving, but I hope he does well, since it is his dream to open his own restaurant.

I was going to replace his hours temporarily, but I do not have the time. So I am going to promote Mia, and Jacob will train her for those 3 months. This is going to anger some of my other sous chefs, but she is the most responsible and actually willing to learn and stay on for the long term. It will be interesting to see if they quit or not, but I do not care. She is the best person for the job. She will be given 6 months to prove herself, and if she does well, I will give her a contract.

My phone vibrating has distracted me from my thoughts, while driving to work, and of course it is my mother. _Again._ I try to limit my contact with her as much as possible. I didn't even answer the phone when she called me after the news report. She rarely ever calls me, and I think she is starting to call more, considering Christian and I are wealthy. She is single, and works a minimum wage job as a waitress at a bar in Los Angeles, California, according to Welch.

Of course Christian helped me find out what my mother's intention might really be. I was going to disconnect from her completely, but I decided if I help her a little bit, hopefully she won't bother us anymore. I plan to give her money every year, I just do not know how yet. I will first answer my phone, hopefully so she won't call me during the holidays.

"Merry Christmas Mom," I utter in my best cheery voice.

"Ana, it is about time you talk to me. How many times do I have to call you?" She complains.

"I've been busy. I have a lot to do before Christmas." Maybe that's what I will do, send her money during the holidays and birthdays every year and get her off my back. _It may only encourage her more._ "I emailed and text you. How are you doing?"

"I got them, but they seem so, I don't know, impersonal. I was hoping you would invite me, your mother, to Seattle for the holidays."

"I'm going to be so busy, I will barely have any time."

"I tried to talk to your boyfriend, but his stupid secretary wouldn't connect me." _Great! She's trying to get to Christian. He doesn't need a reason to break up with you._

"He is even busier than me. I don't think it would be a good time for you to come here." _Hopefully never will be a good time. Ugh!_

"I get it, you are embarrassed of me, aren't you Annie?" I can hear her crocodile tears now. Sawyer has pulled into my parking spot at GEH, and got out, closing the driver's door giving me some privacy.

"Well, it's just-"

"You are embarrassed of me. Annie! I am your mother! I have every right to meet your soon to be husband. I will not make embarrass you. I know how important this is for us." _Us? What the fuck? Unless she means me and you, there is no her in this us._

"Mother, it is just...with everything that happened when I was younger-"

"Annie, you have to stop exaggerating. Nothing happened." _Fuck the money. Cut her off!_

"Then why can't I have children? Did I just make that up?" Stephen Morton, her boyfriend, raped me at such a young age, it is now dangerous for me to birth children. I could die giving birth.

"Annie, these things happened, but now look at you. You are a beautiful, successful woman, who has a great man. Don't let the past bring you down." _Then for once admit it actually happened. That your daughter was raped by your boyfriend!_

"I have to go." I sighed, suddenly not feeling so good.

"I should go too. My flight gets in Seattle on Christmas morning at 8am. It is the best I can do on such a short notice."

"Wait, what?"

"You did not think I was going to miss Christmas with you?" _You have, for several years now._ I am absolutely speechless. "Annie? Don't worry, I have to fly back in a few days. I could not get paid leave, considering the late notice." I don't know what to do, except concede.

"Email me your flight information, and I'll make sure you get picked up."

"Fantastic, I will see you Christmas morning!" she cheerily says.

"Bye Mother."

"Goodbye Annie, love you very much." I hang up. Suddenly it hits me. My mother is going to meet the Greys.

"FUCK!" I yell, shaking the car seat in front of me. Sawyer suddenly turns around, witnessing my outrage. I'm trying to calm down, but I'm struggling. Sawyer opens my door, letting me out. Even though I am at GEH, I immediately call my confidant as I head to the elevator.

"Christian, I have a problem."

"What is it sweetheart?" Christian responds, concerned.

"My mother is coming for Christmas."

"Ok… and there is no way we can reroute her flight to Mexico?" Christian jokes.

"Please, Christian, what are we going to do?" I ask, as we enter in the express elevator.

"Meet me in my office. We will figure it out."

"I'm heading there now. I love you."

"I love you too sweetheart." We hang up. I still feel uneasy, but a little better knowing Christian and I will figure this out together.

~oOo~

After my quick discussion with Christian, I return to my office.

"Well hello hottie!" Kate responds, checking out my outfit, as I take off my coat. Kate looks to have gotten another cup of coffee, heading back into her office.

We are the only one's here. Our office is setup with private cubicles in the middle, and offices on the outside. We also have a secretary counter to greet guest at the entrance, conference rooms for meetings, and a large modern break room, with an attached full kitchen. The whole area is stylish, with bright colors, local artwork of the Seattle landscape, classic movie posters and pictures of the different AMCs. It is a very comfortable office. It is perfect for us considering we have smaller offices located all around the country where I have people cook and train. We do not need a large office building, and it is close to Christian, which I like the most.

"Well Hello hottie to you too."

"Oh me, in this old thing, I just threw it on." She says, looking relaxed in a classic Christmas sweater and skinny jeans. _She still looks hot_.

"I thought you would be gone by now." I wondered, as I head into our break room for a cup of coffee as well. She follows me.

"I've been trying to wrap my head around creating a national marketing plan that will relate to local communities. Going on the internet will be easy. We should do sponsorships from businesses within the area. I think we should consider national ads too. Maybe not television ads; that can be a ridiculous expense. But it would be good idea to start sponsoring charities and fundraising events to get our name out in smaller locations."

"That would be awesome." I say taking a sip of my coffee with cream, three sugars of course. "But do you think it's too soon? We are not really national yet." I say as I walk out to the main offices."

"It is never too soon to advertise our company."

"I will let you make that decision; keep me filled in. In the meantime, stop working on this and go home. You will have more time to worry about all this after the holidays."

"And how many requests are you going to look over tonight Ms. Steele?"

"True, but I don't want you stay too late. You have Christmas Eve with your parents then with the Greys. I want you to relax."

"Ugh! Don't remind me. Dinner with my family, not the Grey's of course. I can't believe El actually wants to go."

Kate has confided to El what is like to be Katherine Kavanagh. He has a better understanding now what her parents are like. He still wants to give it a try, charming his way into their good graces. If it doesn't work, he won't try as hard anymore.

What Kate doesn't know is I helped El pick out an engagement ring for her. He wants to ask her on New Year's Eve, but he feels like he has to ask her father first, which he plans on asking Christmas Eve. I told him to not worry about his answer, especially since Mr. Kavanagh will most likely tell him no. He assured me, he will ask her no matter what he says. He thinks it is the right thing to do.

I am so excited for Kate. She continues, "Besides, I want to get a jump on things before the New Year. Next year, we are going to have to move fast, but it will be a great year. I have a good feeling about it."

"It sure will." Considering she is going to be Mrs. Grey by the end of the year. Kate has always wanted a Christmas winter wedding, so I know she will get married then.

"Anyways, what about you Ms. Steele? Why don't you go home and relax." We are sitting in my office now, getting comfortable on my sofa.

"I finished moving, and I wanted to catch up on some of those requests you just mentioned. I was going to be here earlier, but I left Christian's office-"

"In that outfit?"

"I still had my coat on." We laugh. No way he would keep his hands off me if he saw me in this sexy dress. "We had to discuss something really quickly. My mother is going to be in Seattle on Christmas."

"What?! Did she just invite herself?"

"Yep."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to see if Grace will have enough room for her. If she doesn't, then Christian and I will have brunch with her, and then leave her at a very expensive suite at the hotel Christian got for her. We will then spend more time with her Saturday. I will take her out shopping and sightseeing, and Christian made reservation at that Bistro we love in downtown Seattle. Afterwards, we will drop her off at her hotel, and she will leave the next day."

"You know Grace will make room." Kate cautioned. Grace would have the homeless over if we asked. "What will you do then?"

"She will then come to dinner...with us…at the Greys….where they will all meet."

"If we didn't already have normal Sunday dinners at the Greys, I would think it was impossible for us to not have some drama."

"I'm just glad the grandparents are seeing their other children during the holidays. The only family dinner they experienced with me was terrible."

"I think you are over exaggerating. It could've been worst." Kate jokes. "Plus, you are luckily going to meet them later."

Christian has become more family oriented lately, visiting his Grandmother in Vancouver when he has business trips in the area, and having his other grandparents visit from Michigan in the spring to go out on his boat. He wants to see them more, as they grow older. 'You never know when I won't have them around.' He would tell me.

"True. I really don't want them to think I'm a troublemaker." Kate bust out laughing, almost squirting coffee out of her noise. "It is not funny!"

"Anastasia Steele, the bad girl. Grab your son's mothers, you don't want the bad girl in town ruining them." She laughs even harder. I can't help but laugh at the idea too. _Bad girl, no. Little girl, yes._ "Ok, I am going to stop, before I pee my pants. I will let you call Grace, and hope to god she has room for Carla. I love the entertainment these Grey family dinners provide." I groan at her enthusiasm. I want a normal family dinner, like we usually have on Sunday, but I doubt that is going to happen.

"Thanks for your support friend!" I yell, as Kate leaves. I use my office phone to call Grace. Considering the time, Grace will probably still be at the hospital. She works late during the holidays, knowing more incidents happen during that time. She wants to help every child she can, so they can have a healthy Christmas. She is such an amazing woman, someone I hope to be like.

I end up calling her office, getting her office assistant. "Hello, May I speak to Dr. Grace Grey. Tell her it is Ana Steele calling."

"One moment, please." I wait a few minutes, starting up my computer, and begin organizing my files I want to go through tonight.

"Hello Ana."

"Hello Grace." I cheerfully respond back to her.

"How are you dear?"

"Not very good actually."

"Oh. What's wrong?"

"I found out my mother is visiting me on Christmas."

"Oh, how wonderful."

"Not so wonderful."

"Oh?"

"She is coming last minute, and you probably don't have enough food to add another person."

"We have plenty of food sweetheart. I will make sure a table setting is set for her." Of course. _If only Grace could be a bitch just this once._

"There is something else."

"Oh? What else? I could make sure she has a Christmas gift, if that is what you are worried about." _Carla doesn't deserve Grace's love._ Sometimes I think I don't either.

"My mother and I do not have the best relationship."

"Oh? Tell me dear, why not?"

"When I was…raped, she didn't believe me."

"Oh dear. Oh Ana, I'm sorry. Tell her I do not have any room. Tell her I do not make last minute changes." _Maybe Grace can be a bitch._ I giggle at her change of heart.

"I would normally take up your offer, but maybe if she sees how a family really is, she will have a change of heart."

"What do you want from her Ana, and I mean really want from her? Something that is feasible." I think about her question for a minute. I never thought about it, but I do have an answer.

"I want her to believe that I was rape; that it wasn't just something I made up for attention. I want her to recognize what happened for once, instead of dismissing it."

"You may not get that from her, most likely not on Christmas."

"True…but maybe, if she sees how I am with you… she will see something needs to change in our relationship."

"Whatever you need dear." Grace and I talk a little bit longer on if we have everything for dinner. We hang up a hour later. I begin to work on these AMC requests, but I still can't get off my mind Grace's question. What do I want from the mother? The least she can do is believe me, now that we have time to think things over. _It is the least she can do, but I doubt she will ever change._

~oOo~

I save my work and head to Christian's office for dinner. He already has dinner setup, so I need to bring my sweet little ass over to his office, as he requested of me. I decide to leave my coat in my office.

I knock on his door, letting myself know I'm here. He tells me to come in. I walk into his office and am in awe of the night time view. Christian only has the light over his desk and conference table on, where our food is setup. So the rest of the room is lit up by the lights of Downtown Seattle. It is magical.

The only thing Christian is looking at is me. "That is a dangerous dress sweetheart. I thought we promised we were going to work a couple of hours after dinner."

"We are. I promise. I wanted to encourage you to work faster." I seductively explain.

"That dress will encourage me to do other things." He growls, as he hugs me tightly. He presses my entire body onto his, as he kisses me passionately in the middle of his office. I pull away though.

"I'm hungry." I'm hoping my stomach doesn't growl, since I haven't eaten too much today.

"I'm hungry too." He growls, suggesting of a different hunger as he presses his hard cock against my stomach. I really want to satisfy him, but the the loud grumble from my stomach proves how hungry I am. Christian pulls away looking at me worried. "Sweetheart, you really are hungry. Let me feed you." He takes my hand and walks me to the table, pulling out my chair and letting me sit first like a gentlemen. We are having chicken scampi in a delicious garlic sauce, with finely cut onion, peppers, and spinach. I can't help but dig in immediately. "I'm glad I got dessert."

I cover my mouth in embarrassment, finishing my large bite. "I'm sorry, the last time I ate, was breakfast, which was an apple."

"Ana. I want you to eat. It is important for you to eat 3 meals a day."

"I know, I just got so busy with work and moving and my mother. I didn't have time to eat."

"You are going to get busy with the media success of AMC. I want you to make sure you take care of yourself. Good thing you're moving in with me. I am going to make sure you eat Breakfast every morning, and I will have Gail make you lunch as well." I smile at Christian wanting to take care of me. "You should also work out?" _What the hell?!_

"Excuse me?" I asked confused. Have I gained weight? I know I have gained weight, considering all the rich food I eat now, but am a fat? I don't think so. _You finally have tits and ass. How can he want you to get rid of them?!_

"I don't want you to lose weight. I love your body." He rubs my inner thigh to emphasize his point. I blush with his action. "You should workout to relax. I usually run in the mornings." He does get up at an ungodly hour to run with Taylor. I couldn't do that. "Maybe you can do yoga. I can have one of the rooms turn into a yoga studio for you."

"I would like that." _You should get flexible. It would make the love making even more interesting._ "I would also like to learn kick boxing."

"Really?"

"I think I should know how to defend myself."

"You shouldn't have to." He grumbles. I always wanted to learn how to defend myself, but I never really had the chance. Dad taught me how to shoot a gun, but I never wanted to invest in a weapon. I can be clumsy, and I don't want to accidentally hurt someone. I would never forgive myself.

"I want to learn though. Plus it is a good workout."

"I was thinking riding me was the best workout." He jokes, moving his hand further up my thigh.

"You said I should work out. I'm just taking your suggestion." I kiss his sad face, knowing his words are biting him in the ass already.

"You can work with Claude, my personal trainer. He teaches Kickboxing classes."

"I want to start Monday evening, if that is ok." He looks surprised. "An early New Year's Resolution."

"Ok, whatever you want. I will call him tomorrow, setup a time for you to meet. Is there a reason you want to start so quickly, besides New Year's resolution?"

"Well…" I place my fork down and remove my napkin from my lap, getting ready to melt down, in 5, 4, 3, 2,… "I'm freaking the fuck out! I'm looking at all these AMC requests, and I do not know who I should say yes or no too! Some are the sweetest, most genuine requests I have ever heard, but looking into their current business experience or financials, they look like they can't even manage a lemonade stand!"

"Ana."

"Then, there're the handful of requests who would be great at managing an AMC. The only problem is they talk about how they can make my company better and how they want all these ridiculous changes, and how they want more money upfront! How cocky can people be?!" I shake my head in frustration.

"Ana."

"I even had a few try to seduce me with pictures of their penuses."

"Ana!"

"Then! There are the handful of people who I thought they wanted an AMC, but really wrote to me to complain how an AMC would ruin their town and their local theater. They don't want my 'corporation' in their town. They took time out of their lives to disrespect me."

"Ana!"

"Then there is my mother! I can't believe she invites herself to my family dinner!...well your family dinner. She has no right! This was supposed to be a great night for us with your family! She doesn't even understand what that means!"

"Anastasia!"

"What!"

"Go to the sofa, and get on your knees on the floor now!"

"What?"

"Do what I say." He sternly states. I don't know what he is doing, but his voice is so commanding that I do what he says, even though I'm grumbling. _He sounds like Dom Christian._

I walk over to the couch, and get on my knees. "Take off your heels and place them next to the sofa." I take off my shoes and place them on my left side.

"Take off your dress and place it on the chair." I am shocked at what he is asking. We are in his office. There are cameras. People are still working in his office, and they could come in. I do it anyways. I slip off my dress, never standing or leaving the floor. I want to make sure I am following orders, and he never told me I could stand. I place my dress on the chair.

"Give me your bra and panties." I unclip my black lace bra, freeing my breast. I am looking down, realizing how erect my nipples are. _Are you turned on?_ I give him my bra. I slide my panties off my legs, never leaving the floor. I realize they are soaked, and embarrassingly give them to him. _You are turned on!_ I am completely naked on Christian's office floor, dripping wet. I clench my thighs, afraid I will ruin his carpet.

I do not completely understand what is happening right now, but I don't care. I am going to listen to what Christian tells me to do. _Trust him completely._

Christian grabs my dress and places them behind his desk. I am sitting on my feet, waiting for his next order. I'm unsure what he has planned. I see him grab my plate of food. I also notice he has taken off his tie, coat, shoes and socks.

"First, I am going to feed you. You will not talk. You will not refuse a bite. Is that understood?"

"Yes Sir." He smiles at my response. _Oh, this is Dom Christian._ I should've known, considering how commanding he is now. I gladly submit, but once we are done, I remember I have to go back to work. He places a bite of food on my fork and feeds me. It is a perfect bite of chicken, pasta, sauce, and vegetables. I chew slowly, enjoying the flavors in my mouth. He continues to feed me, wiping my mouth of sauce by licking it off of me. I finish my plate with him feeding me the whole time. He removes my plate, putting it back on his conference room table.

He walks back to me, and demands me to stand. So I do. "I want you to lay here on my couch until I am ready to leave."

"Christian, I have to get back-"

"Ana/"

"I'm serious! I have to get back to work. I can't just lay here in your-"

(SMACK)

 _Christian just smacked your ass. Holly shit!_ "That is one." I can't believe he just spanked me. He reaches between my folds, feeling how aroused I am. I practically coat his fingers. He licks his fingers in appreciation. "It seems you are aroused by your punishment. I will have to properly punish you."

"Punish me? For what?"

"For not letting me take care of you. I normally do not ask my…submissives, but considering we are not officially in a scene, I feel the need to ask you. Do you accept your punishment?" _Accept! Accept! Please Accept!_

"Yes." I say, breathlessly.

He sits on the couch, grabs my waist, and positioned me over his lap. "I have been wanting to do this for a long time." He says as he caresses by ass, rubbing my folds. "Consider your punishment give me pleasure, I will slap your ass 9 times, for a total of 10. I want you to count. Do you understand Ana?"

"Yes sir." He growls at my response.

"Starting now."

(SMACK)

"2!"

(SMACK)

"3!"

(SMACK)

"4!" Christian continues to spank me, until we have a total of 10. I find his smacks hard, as he alters between cheeks and right in the middle. The sting sends shivers down my body. I squirm, wanting to find some type of friction. I'm so turned on, I can't stand it.

"Will you lay on the couch for the rest of the evening?" _Wait, what? Of course. We'll do whatever he wants. Just let us orgasm, please._

"Yes sir."

"Will you let me help you take of the AMC requests." Oh, that's what he is talking about. _Sure, whatever. I forgot about that._

"Yes sir." I say wiggling my ass. I am dripping at this point, probably ruining his pants.

"Does my Ana need something?" He knows what I need, but he wants me to spell it out. _I don't care at this point. I will paint it on the walls of his office 'Make me come!'_

"Please sir, make me come."

"Do you think you deserve it?" _Oh that is a tough question._ I wasn't listening to Christian earlier, but I wanted so badly to orgasm right now. _Let him deicide._

"If you think I deserve to come sir."

"How about you show me how much you want to come Ana, but you are not allowed to touch yourself?" He places me on the floor, and looks at me, waiting to see what I will do.

 _Great!_ This is one of the most awkward challenges I have ever done. The ball is in my court. _Do whatever you have to do. We need to come!_ I am not sure what to do. _The only thing you can do is literally show him how much you need to come._

So I get up, and straddle one of his legs. I begin to rub myself on him. I rub myself hard, but I am not getting the right angle. I need to rub my clit. He is looking at my desperate need to come amused. _You can do this._ I then lean over him, placing my hands on either side of him. I rub my clit on his pants, and I am finally feeling the orgasm building. I do not look away from him despite my embarrassment, as I'm humping Christian's leg. I don't care how I look right now, it feels so good.

I am rubbing faster on his leg, moaning, feeling myself climax, until suddenly Christian grabs my waist, fliping me around and laying me on the sofa. He is hovering over me, whipping his dick out so fast to thrusts deeply in me.

"You really want to come," his hands tighten my hips as he drives in my harder. "So much, you were willing to hump me." I gasp, as he rubs my clit hard and fast, keeping up with his rhythm.

"Yes…sir." It feels so good, I wanted to scream out my pleasure, but I couldn't. I cover my mouth and watch me fuck me through half-closed eyes. The sight of him on top of me fills me with lust.

"Good. I will make you come then." He reaches back, and puts my legs on top of his shoulders. The angle give him full access to my pussy. He moves deeper inside me with every thrust.

"Yes!" and deeper.

"Because your pleasure is mine." and deeper.

"Yes!" and deeper.

"Come for me!" and deeper. I squeeze my pussy around his cock, making him grunt, and reach over to bite my calf. "Fuck!"

That was enough for me to come undone. "Oh god!"

He thrust one final time, shooting streams of cum deep inside me. I can feel his hot wet come dripping down my pussy to the crack of my ass. He collapses on top of me. I welcome his weight, despite the awkward angle. We are both trying to catch our breaths. That was an intense session. We never done something like that outside the playroom.

Christian sits up slightly, looking at me, brushing my damp hair away from my face. He is smiling down at me, and I return the smile in my sex haze. "You will let me help you with the AMC proposals." Christian states.

"What proposals? I don't even know what you're talking about." I respond, giggling at my silliness. He chuckles too, giving me a quick peck on my lips.

"Let's go home."

 _A girl can get use to this._

 **A/N: Christmas with Carla next.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15:**

"She can take a cab for all I care. This is ridiculous." Christian, Taylor and I are waiting in the Audi SUV at the SeaTac airport. It is raining, cats and dogs, if anyone is interested in adopting. _Snarky Ana, I like._ We have been waiting for an hour, and had to drive around several times, so we wouldn't get a ticket. I called my mother. I text her. I even checked with the airport, making sure her flight came in. It was only delayed 10 minutes. She should be here by now. _Maybe she is waiting for her red carpet and paparazzi?_

"Let's go inside. Maybe she is waiting for us." Christian offers, rubbing my back to calm me down.

"I told her to meet me outside, and she said she would."

"I can go in and check Ana." Taylor asks.

"Fine, I'm sorry you have to go out in the rain."

"No need to apologize Ana." Taylor insist, smiling back at me in the rear view mirror. He gets out from the driver seat, pulls out his umbrella, hopefully not getting too wet, and heads into the airport.

"This is just like her, not following instructions."

"Like her daughter." He jokes.

"Hey! I only don't follow instructions when I'm stressed out…and when I want to get spanked." I whisper. He chuckles.

Yesterday, we had a lovely day. Taylor and Gail had the day off, allowing them to have a nice Christmas Eve together. Taylor will have to work all day today, so it was the least we could do.

Christian gave me an introduction to a Dom/sub relationship yesterday. There were no punishments. I followed everything Christian said for me to do. It was nice, not thinking about anything, listening to Christian's instructions. I was thinking he would want me to give him a blow job every hour, or fuck me in the kitchen, something random, but he did none of that.

I only wore lacy panties, ones he chose. He had me make us breakfast, lunch and dinner, making sure I ate every bite. Christian had me suck him off at one point, but it was like he could read my mind. I was in our room, starting to think about the work I should be doing, but he came in the moment my mind started to drift off. He had me get on my knees and pleasure him, and I did thoroughly. I stopped thinking about everything, except him. It was pointless to think about all the AMC requests now. If people really wanted to run an AMC franchise, they could wait till after Christmas. I don't know why I was so stressed about everything.

I got to swim naked in the indoor pool again. Christian watched me, enjoying the view. I swam a good ten laps, realizing I do need to work out. It is a good stress reliever, among other things. When I was done, Christian helped me out of the pool. He dried me off, and carried me to the shower. We showered together and made love. Afterwards, he took care of me, drying me off again, and combed and braided my hair. He decided I didn't need any more clothes.

When he had to finish some work he didn't get to from the night before, I wrapped the presents we were going to bring over for today and unpacked my clothes and random things from my condo. The movers kept everything organized, placing my boxes in their appropriate rooms. I have a few boxes in one of the guest rooms.

We are going to make it my own room, but I am not sure what I want it to be yet. I was thinking yesterday, it would be good to have a chef's office, which would consists of your typical office furniture, but I would also have an inspiration board, a place to have random ingredients, a preparation table, and storage space. I would not need a full kitchen or anything, somewhere I can put food together and taste them. Be able to sit and think about dishes I would want to try to make. The guestroom is right next to the kitchen, so it would be perfect.

When he was done working, we watched a few classic Christmas movies in the movie room, ones Christian never seen before. We watch Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer, The Little Drummer boy, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and Charlie Brown's Christmas. My favorite moment was when he declared Snoopy was a dick.

When it was getting late, he carried me to our bedroom, and made love to me. We had sex a few times, but nothing too crazy. The day wasn't about sex, making me feel silly and naïve about how Christian would treat me as a submissive. It was perfect.

"There she is." I huff, coming back to present day. She has three bags, all being held by Taylor, who is somehow holding the umbrella over her too. Christian quickly gets out to help. _I would rather see her drown._ I get out anyways.

"Anastasia, what took you so long?!" She says, already angry at me.

"Hello to you too." I politely hug her. Christian helps Taylor put her luggage in the trunk. "I told you we would be outside." I defend.

"I wasn't going to wait outside in this absurd weather." _It is just rain, not a fucking hurricane._ "It took your lovely fiancé here to finally come and get me," she says, wrapping her arm around Taylor. Taylor looks seriously uncomfortable. "Tell your security to hurry up. I do not want to wait any longer." She stresses, glaring at Christian, who is standing in the rain, looking seriously amused.

"Mom, this is Christian Grey, MY BOYFRIEND. Christian, this is Carla Wilks."

"Nice to meet you Mrs. Wilks" Christian graciously offers his hand.

"Oh." she sighed, dropping Taylor's arm like a hot potato. "It is lovely to finally meet Ana's fiancé." Is she really going to do this all day? _Oh god, she is going to drive him away. Hurry, promise sexual favors later tonight._ "You should really hire some better help, Christian. I can probably help you find someone." _Really, ready to fire Taylor already._ Taylor opens the car door for Christian and my mother. She then closes the door on me. I want to scream. _Just get Taylor's gun and end it._

"Remember, only a couple of days Ana." Taylor reminds me, opening the passenger door for me. I mouth a 'Thank you' towards him, truly grateful for everything Taylor does. He takes care of GEH, Christian and I. I always feel safe around him. He is the reason why we haven't had troubles with Elena. He has someone always watching her. She hasn't been able to bother us anymore, only annoying Grace once in a while with her phone calls and emails asking for forgiveness. But Grace is able to take care of her, in her own way. _You know it's bad, when you are thinking about Elena._

I try to get out of my head and join the conversation. I turn back and realize my mother is barraging Christian with complaints, and he seems unsure how to handle it. I try to distract her, the best way I know how. _Make it about her_.

"I'm sorry I didn't meet you at the airport. You must have been worried." I express to her.

"Annie, I was expecting a sign with my name on it and some assistance with my bags. You didn't really expect me to do this all by myself." _I was close about the red carpet._ "You should really teach your butler here, how to do his job." _And the hits keep on coming._ Taylor only chuckles quietly.

"He is not our butler, he's our security. And it was my fault, I should of gotten you."

"It was really my fault, Ms. Wilks. I was in a rush to get to my parent's house." Christian interjects.

"Oh Christian, it's not a problem. I'm sorry for being so inconsiderate." _Can forgive Christian for being rude in a second. Can't help your own daughter when she was raped. Wow!_ I try to ignore my inner voice, considering she is going to make me mad reminding me of the truth.

"No need to apologize Ms. Wilks. We should be at my parents' house on time, if we leave now."

"Please Christian, call me mom." _Oh god!_

"He can call you Carla. He has a mother" I command. She glares at me.

"I will not take that tone from you Annie. You will not talk to your mother like that." _What is she going to do, put her over her knee and spank you? We only let one person do that._

"I'm sorry mom." I relent again, but I feel my heart breaking every time.

"What's this about going to your parent's house?"

"We need to go to Christian's parent's house now. I'm helping then cook dinner, so I don't want to be too late."

"They are not having a caterer?"

"No, my mother likes to make home cook meals for family dinners. She likes to keep it personal." Christian comments.

"Well we can't go. I need to change." Carla decides for us.

"Mom, you can change there. Grace won't mind." I try to demand.

"I can't go over there looking like this. Let's go home, so I can change. I also want a tour of your fabulous penthouse. I heard such amazing things about it." _We've told her nothing._

"I need to be at the Greys soon, the dishes I'm making take a lot of preparation time."

"Annie, I know your cooking skills, a sandwich or whatever doesn't take hours to make."

"You don't know what I'm making, and you don't know my cooking. I am making everything from scratch, and I need to be there now. So you can get cleaned up at the Grey's. That's final!" I turn around, ending the conversation. I already know my mother has something ready in her arsenal, and it is called guilt. _Don't you let her get to you!_

"I just want to look nice for Christian's parents." (sniffle) "I don't want to look like a fool." (sniffle) "I had a long flight from Los Angeles. I was lucky to even find a flight that would get me here." (sniffle) "It cost me practically and arm and a leg to get her." (sniffle)

I am not even going to look back at her. I'm pretty sure she is whipping a phony tear right now.

"We should have enough time to stop by your hotel." Christian offers.

"Christian." I turn back around, chastising him.

"Oh thank you Christian for being so sweet. I won't take too long, really, I promise." I glare at him, not wanting him to cave in, but he shrugs his shoulders, unsure what to do. Taylor takes a different exit to go to my mother's hotel. I turn back around, feeling like I lost this battle. _We are winning the war baby, I promise._

"So I am staying at a hotel? Do you not want me to stay at your nice penthouse Christian?" _Fuck._

~oOo~

Two and half hours later, we are at the Grey's house. Christian had to call twice telling them we were going to be late. I had to direct Mia on starting my dishes.

I was lucky she was there. At one point, I thought she was going to have to work Christmas at AMC Seattle, but I made sure she got the holidays off. She will be working tomorrow, but she doesn't seem to mind.

Mia started preparing my side dishes and dessert. Tonight we will be having candied yams, savory roasted root vegetables, apple cranberry relish, sweet potato casserole and pecan pie. Grace already started on a Christmas ham and prime rib. I hopefully will just have to taste the dishes, check if it needs any seasoning, and put it in the oven. I apologizes several times to Mia and Grace, but they dismisses my apology, stating I have nothing to be sorry about. I wish that was true.

Taylor parked the car, and Christian helps my mother out. I help get the presents, not even wanting to look at my mother at this point. "What a lovely home. Is your penthouse like this?" Carla asks, acting innocent as usual.

"No, Ana and I live in a large condo near work, in downtown Seattle."

"Oh." She replies with disappointment. "Will you be moving to a house like this after you get married?"

I decide to jump in. "Mom, Christian and I-"

"I hope so. I wouldn't mind a home in this neighborhood, if Ana likes it too of course." He turns back and winks at me. I blush with his gesture. I want to be happy with his talk of the future, but I hate leading my mother on, especially after she meets the Grey's.

"Merry Christmas, Christian." Grace walks out to greet Christian. Christian hastily drops my mother's arm, to hug and kiss his mother.

"Merry Christmas mom." Their relationship usually makes me beam, but today it makes me shrink thinking I don't have that with my mother.

"Ana darling, Merry Christmas to you too." She turns towards me, hugging and kissing me on the cheek. _I think you do have that relationship, just with someone else's mother._ "Let me help you with those,"

"Thank you, and Merry Christmas to you too Grace." Grace grabs the presents in my hands, and heads inside, not acknowledging my mother yet.

"How rude is she." Carla murmurs to me.

"Don't you dare start, or I will throw you out myself." I reprimand, making sure no one else can hear me, except for her.

"Stop worrying. I will not embarrass you." _Shouldn't worry about_ e _mbarrassment. Ruining everything you build, I'm most worried about._

We walk into the foyer, taking our coats off, and Taylor places the rest of the gifts in the foyer. He acknowledges Grace and Carrick, who is helping with our coats, with a Merry Christmas. Taylor then leaves to most likely meet with Reynolds to review security measures for the day.

I eventually make the introductions. "Mom, this is Carrick Grey and Dr. Grace Grey, Christian's parents. Carrick and Grace, this is my mother Carla Wilks."

"Nice to meet you. Call us Carrick and Grace" Carrick speaks, with both of them offering their hands.

"Nice to meet you." Carla shakes their hands. "You can call me, Ms. Wilks." _Fuck me!_

"Well please…Ms. Wilks, come inside. Make yourself comfortable." Grace offers. She shows her into the living room. She follows Carrick, and wraps her arms right around Christians. I am about to walk, when Grace, stops me. She grabs me on either side of my shoulder, and asks me honestly, "Are you okay?"

"Honestly?" She nods her head yes. "No." She embraces with me with a fierce hug, one that I needed all day.

"You will be." And we continue with our day.

~oOo~

"I think it is official. Carla is going to marry Elliot." Kate jokes, walking into the kitchen with champagne and orange juice in hand, most likely leaving the loud cackling coming from the living room. "Can't charm my father for the life of him, but has Carla wrapped around his finger."

Kate didn't have a very good Christmas Eve dinner with her parents. Instead of being rude towards Elliot, they bragged about their son Ethan, talking about how great he is. Nothing better than telling one man how much better another man is. Elliot took it all in, but he never got to ask Kate's father for his blessing. He pulled me aside a while ago asking what he should do, and I told him not to worry about it, ask her anyways. I also gave him my blessing, if that meant anything. For him, it did. He is going along with the proposal.

"Carla is…interesting." Grace says, as she takes out of the oven the last of the.

We will still be having dinner on time, even though I came late. Mia was able to prepare everything perfectly. I shouldn't be surprised. She is a really good chef. _She did train in Paris._ True, I guess she is ahead of me in that case.

"I don't know. She is kind of weird." Mia comments.

"Mia!" Grace reprimands.

"What? She kept asking if she can get a tour of the house. I think she is going to rob the place later." Mia jokes, which we can't help but laugh.

"She has a thing for houses." I explain to them. "I think because she always wanted a mansion."

"Oh, well I can give her a tour later." Grace offers.

"No that is ok. I can do it." I don't know what Carla will say to Grace alone.

We move the food out to the dining room table, and announce dinner is ready, and everyone comes into the dinning room. Carla has her arm wrapped around Elliot, laughing at one of his jokes. She even sits next to him, forcing Kate to sit across form him. Luckily she doesn't seem angry, amused by Carla. She even mouths drama towards me.

We all sit down at the grand table, starting to pass the food around. We probably have too much food, considering it is only Grace, Carrick, Kate, Elliot, Mia, Christian, Myself and Carla. But, Grace was planning to give the leftovers to the staff at Coping Together. They have their own Christmas party, brining leftovers for the staff, and anyone who is at their center right now. It is gracious of them, and makes me happy to provide some food.

We have lite conversations, talking about our past week, and plans for the New Year. Mia is excited about her promotion. She knows she will have to work hard to be head chef, but she is ready and motivated to do it. She even has some recipe ideas.

Elliot will be working on a rejuvenation project in the Seattle area. He is going to buy vacant properties that have long been abandoned. He is going to flip them, and either sell the properties or rent them out. It is his way of giving back to the community that has brought him so much success.

Kate and I talked about our expansion plans with AMC, and how excited but nervous we are. We have a lot of work to do and nervous about the upcoming challenges, but we know it will be great for business.

Grace and Carrick discussed how they are preparing for retirement. Their children were surprised by this, but they promised they are going to work less. Grace was more hesitant about this, since she doesn't have a pediatrician to replace her at her Doctor's office. It makes her apprehensive to walk away from her practice. Carrick, however, is ready to retire, and will only work a couple of days a week next year. He will be an advisor, and hope to teach some classes at the University of Washington law school. He is better prepared for retirement.

Carla was next in offering her plans for the New Year. _We should skip her._

"I plan to be there for my family more." She casually offers, looking at me specifically. "I want to help people in need." _She almost sounds sincere._

"In what way?" Kate asks.

"Well, I have a longtime friend Stephen, who desperately needs my help. He has no home and very little money. I want to help him get back on his feet."

 _Did I hear her correctly?_ "What's his name?" I ask.

"Stephen Morton, you remember him Annie. He finally got out of his unfortunate situation, and he contacted me for help. I just feel so sorry for him, considering he has no family. His parents died, and he never had any children when he lost is significant other. It is rather sad," she explains to the group. They all nod, agreeing with her attentions, except for Kate and Christian, who stare at me, waiting for my reaction. I swallow hard, as it sinks in what she just said. "I was also hoping to go on vacation in Cuba. I hear it is lovely." She continues to describe how great it is, but I am not paying attention to her anymore. I start to shake thinking about Stephen being released from prison. Christian notices this right away.

"We'll be right back." Christian quickly interrupts, to Carla's disgust. "I just remembered, there's something I want to show Ana." Christian announces to the table. He moves us out of the dining room, practically dragging me, since I have lost a will to move or speak right now. We walk out to the backyard. It is a cold night, and he offers his blazer, but I decline. I welcome the cold air.

I can't believe Stephen was released from prison. I assumed he would be there forever, but that is stupid of me to think, considering he wasn't convicted for rape. He is going to try and contact me, I'm sure of it.

What am I going to do?

~oOo~

"I don't know what I'm going to do about Stephen." I admit to Christian as we walk into the boat house. "I don't want to see him."

"You won't." Christian states with authority.

I start to pace. "What if he tries to?"

"Then we will stop him."

"But he can be devious. He was able to contact me from prison." I remember the letters and phone calls he sent me for months, proclaiming he was sorry and he loved me. I moved and changed my phone number. I had to change my phone number a few times and block my address until he finally stopped. It felt like he was stalking me from prison.

"I will protect you."

"You can't Christian. You can't. No one can."

He growls, frustrated at my objection. He runs his hands through his hair, practically pulling it out. He eventually looks at me, determined.

"I didn't want to do this here, but I need to convince you I will protect you for the rest of my life." He walks in front of me and bends down on one knee. He grabs my left hand. "I want to marry you. I want you to officially be mine. I want to grow old with you. I want to share the successes as well as the struggles with you because you are my best friend, my lover, and hopefully, my wife. I love you with all my body, heart, and soul." I believe him, every word he said. He takes out a ring that was in his jacket pocket. A beautiful ring that looks like an antique. "And if you think that isn't enough, I asked Kate for her blessing. She told me you would be crazy not to accept." He chuckles. He then genuinely declares, "I love you Ana. Will you marry me?"

I want to be his. _YES!_ I am afraid my problems will burden him. _NO!_ But I want him to be there with me through it all. _YES!_ "Yes." I tell him, and we embrace, kissing him till my worries disappear.

~oOo~

My family circle around Christian and I, as they congratulate us with our marriage proposal. The moment we got inside, I announced our engagement. Elliot joked how smart it was to do it on Christmas, never forget our anniversary that way. I celebrate with everyone with champagne brought out by Carrick, and am hugging Grace, who has tears of joy.

That is when I see her. My mother, sitting at the table, looking agitated. I finish my hug with Grace, pleased to see her so happy, and I tell my family I will be right back. They crowd Christian, who has a full teeth grin, as everyone congratulates him for finally settling down with a good woman. I take my mother's arm and drag her to the foyer.

"What is your problem?" I furiously ask, angry at how she has been this whole day.

"He did not ask for my permission." She shrieks, sounding perturbed.

"He didn't need to, he asked Kate."

"Kate?! What?! Why would he ask…her?" She utters in disgust.

"Because Kate is my sister, and the closest family I have."

"I am your mother!"

"Don't you get it, no, you're not!"

"How dare you! He should of asked me! How disrespectful of him not to include me!"

"It is always about you, isn't?" I wait for a response, but she looks confused. "You never really cared about me. Admit it? I was a nuisance, a mistake. That is why you never believed me about being raped! You never loved me! Grace has been more of a mother then you ever-!" And she slaps me. She actually slaps my cheek, hard. _I…I don't even know what to say. She….she slapped you. That really hurt. Leave Ana. She is hurting us too much._ I hold my cheek, shocked by what she did, looking at her like I don't know the woman standing in front of me.

She looks furious, like I caused her to slap me. "Don't you ever speak to me like that!"

"Get away from my wife." Christian growls, stepping in between us.

"She is not your wife. And I would be careful with her. I taught my daughter how to survive. If I know anything about her, she is only marrying you for your money." Carla rants.

"It is obvious you know nothing about your daughter. She's a multimillionaire." Christian states. "She doesn't need or wants my money."

Carla looks absolutely dumbfounded. I guess she didn't know how successful I really am. She goes to grab her coat and purse out of the closet in the foyer. She is about to leave, but then stops, and turns back to me.

"You are right Anastasia, you were a mistake," and leaves, slamming the door. Christian goes after her, for whatever reason. I start to cry, upset with how she just treated me. Grace rushes to hug me, comforting me during my time of weakness.

"Oh my sweet child." Grace rubs my back. I look up at her, and see the sincerity of her words. I hug her tighter, and cry even more on her shoulder. I might of loss my mother, but I gained another one this Christmas Day.

 **A/N: I decided to make Carla a terrible mother, thinking she never really wanted to have a child, at least not so young. I didn't like writting it to be honest. I don't like writing about physical, emotional, or verbal abuse, but it seemed necessary. FYI, in real life I love my mother :)**

 **Up next is Christian's birthday, which will be in January. This will be the last chapter of part 1, and then I will move to part 2, which is will be in Christian's point of view. More information on that later.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16:**

"Yes mom. I'm finishing his cake now and Sawyer and I will drop it off at your house. I just need you to bring it to the restaurant. Do you think he will actually be surprised by this party?" I asks Grace on the phone, as I take out the third layer of chocolate cake for Christian's 35th birthday.

I am at my old condo/new office, finishing up a three layer chocolate round cake. It is Christian's favorite, and I want to surprise him with it. He thinks we are having a quiet lunch at the Mile High Club and then going home. I acted like I didn't want to do much for him, since he is man who has everything. I even told him I am going to hang out with Kate today, leaving him alone. Even Sawyer went along with the gag, lying to Christina about how I am with Kate right now, watching a movie. Christian seemed shocked and a little hurt by my non-action on his birthday, but he has no idea the day I have planned.

"The fact that he called me, asking whether Carrick and I had any plans tonight, and if he can come over, shows he has no clue." Grace says.

"Do you think I did too much to hide this from him? Now I feel bad." It sounds like he is lonely.

"I never get to surprise my control freak of a son. Now that I have a daughter who can do it, I am going to relish in finally surprising him." She says, giggling afterwards. I laugh with her.

"Ok then, let me finish this cake, and I will see you in a hour."

"Ok dear, goodbye. Love you very much."

"I love you too, Mom." Even though Christian and I are not married yet, I already call her mom. It feels right. Christian and the rest of the family seem to not care, considering they have already accepted me.

The plan for tonight is simple. Pretend we are having a birthday dinner at the Mile High Club, where he is then surprised by his family and friends being there at a closed party room, at the top of the building, giving us an amazing view of the city and ocean. I invited our family, Ros and her wife, Taylor (who will be off duty), Gail, and a few business partners and their significant others, who he has worked with for several years. This includes Rachel Walker, Mr. Welch, Barney Sullivan and their significant others.

It will be interesting, considering the last time we all partied was at the end of the year GEH party Christian has the last week of December. He invites his closest employees to an end of the year party, which is to celebrate the success of GEH, and the hard work they have all done. This is also to promote more success in the next year. It is an exclusive party, since not all the employees get invited. Only the best of the best at GEH.

Everyone got so drunk and wild, Barney danced shirtless, Welch finally gave up his his first name, which is Chace ( _we will never speak of his name again_ ). Christian and I fucked in his office on his desk and in a conference room. We couldn't keep our hands of each other. It has only been a month, and I still can't get over how crazy that party was.

Tonight's Birthday party, we will have lite drinks and delicious appetizers provided by AMC. Mia helped organized the food. El will try his hardest to get Christian drunk, but I will have to put an end before it starts because late tonight, I have a naughty night plan for him. Sawyer will drive Christian to the private room I have setup, which will be weird, since Taylor is constantly with him, but it will only help with the surprise.

I have a hotel booked for later that night, so we won't have to go too far for my surprise. Maybe I will introduce him to something new, something we briefly discussed and both shown some interests. Elliot helped me with the idea, but he got too into it for me to use his help too much. I will not try to force anything, but I will let him know I am interested if he is. _Oh, he will be interested. I can't wait!_

As I calm myself getting sexually worked up thinking about tonight, I finish his cake, and get ready to head to the Grey's house. Grace and Carrick will be bringing the cake over, so I can bring his gift. I got him a dog.

I know it seems like a weird purchase, but Christian mentioned how he wanted a dog when he was a kid, but didn't want to voice it. Every time he walked to Elena's house to 'help he', he would walk by a house that had a dog playing around in the front yard.

So the plan is to drop off the cake, get the dog at the adoption agency, bring him over to the Club so I can get everything to setup and decorated, and help Mia with catering. I will have to change at some point, and make sure the dog will be okay hanging out in the club. There will be a balcony area for him to walk around, and Elliot and Kate will take him home.

It is going to be a busy day, but I am so excited for tonight. Hopefully Christian will have a great time. _Oh, he will._

~oOo~

(CRASH)

"BARK! BARK!"

"You're okay?" Sawyer asks, looking back at me, after the shock of a car hitting us from the back on the way to the club.

"Yeah, I'm okay." I tell Sawyer, as I grip Christian's present in the seat next to me. The Doberman named Snoopy, of course, is better than I am, since he is on high alert trying to figure out what is happening.

Paparazzi have been swarming us as I have been trying to get my tasks for today done. Sawyer has been handling the situation well, maneuvering me and now Snoopy out of the way, but now it got dangerous. A car behind us hit us as Sawyer was trying to exit the freeway. Paparazzi car was speeding up to catch up to us, and as he was slowing down, the car hit us. Sawyer and Snoopy seem ready to go after the guy.

"Motherfucker!" "BARK!"

Sawyer and Snoopy both react as the paparazzi car that hit us drove away, trying to avoid an altercation. Sawyer quickly writes the license plate. He then reaches for his cell phone. I am still holding on to Snoopy out of comfort, who licks my face a couple of times, until I realize what Sawyer is doing.

"Wait!" I tell him, reaching out to grab his shoulder. He is calling Taylor about the incident, which will get to Christian. "Don't tell Christian."

He covers his phone to tell me, "I can't lie to Mr. Grey."

"Please. I don't want him to know about the surprise party." I beg. Sawyer contemplates what I am saying, until Taylor starts talking to him.

"Taylor, we just got into an accident." Dam! I was hoping to make this day perfect, but it is about to fall apart. "We're okay, but the guy drove off… I will…. Yes sir….Sounds good…And make sure Mr. Grey doesn't find out….Ms. Steele asked…Yes sir, she says she is fine….Thank you sir….I will see you there." Sawyer then hangs up.

"Thank you Sawyer." Sawyer nods in response, not wanting to take any credit.

"We should get going. Taylor will have extra security at the club tonight."

I sigh in relief, happy that the party will still go well, without the crazy paparazzi. I hope they will settle down.

"Bark! Bark!" And we will always have Snoopy to protect us.

~oOo~

"Everyone hide! Christian is coming!" I yell to our friends and family in the club, running around in my skin tight lite pink dress that is long sleeve and short. I thought this dress would be so cute, but now I am regretting it, since I cannot run in this dress without pulling it down.

People are starting to hide, but I am getting frustrated with people still trying to get a snack. I am pushing people behind tables and balloons. I run to the different catering tables to make sure the food is all setup. We have an incredible about of food, like ice cream float bar, sliders and shooters late night snacks, doughnut cake, ham and cheese ring, mini caprese salad, mac and cheese bites, jell-o shooters and gourmet burger bar.

I run to the bar, where we have bloody Mary bar, pink strawberry sangria, bourbon bar, beer tasting, and champagne. We even have a Cuban cigar bar. I inform the caters to keep everything organized and make sure people don't get too crazy the first hour of the party. I also want them to walk around with the champagne and sangria.

I run to the balcony to check on Snoopy, who is laying out with his water bowl and his dog food. I kneel down and pet him, making sure he is comfortable. He rolls on his back for me to scratch his belly. He makes me calm down a little bit, but then someone calls for me.

I run over to one of the caters, who is trying to fix the happy birthday balloon sign. I help him, so it is more secure. I check the rest of the decorations. We have a gold and black theme. The catering tables and bars along the wall. In the middle, we have a few tables for sitting and taller tables for drinking. The overall room is open up to a large balcony outside. We have a small dance floor, with a DJ in the corner ready to play some music. We have a board of pictures of Christian over the years that are put together in the shape of 35 for his birthday. Christian's mother did a great job with it. IT is not a huge room, but works for his birthday party.

I run over to the cake, making sure that is setup properly. That is when Grace stops me. "Dear, calm down."

"What do you mean, I have to make sure everything is perfect."

"Everything is perfect. It is so beautiful. This is the best birthday he will ever have." She embraces me in a comforting hug. "Thankyou." I feel a little relaxed by her words.

I look back at her, and tell her, "Hide." She giggles and goes where Carrick is, crouching behind a table.

I get into place walking to the hostess table. Christian will be really mad. I called him earlier to tell him I wanted to set up a last minute birthday dinner at the club, but they refused service for me, saying they are fully booked and I am a nobody. I explained to Christian how I try to convince them to make an exception, but they refused, saying I am not family. Christian is pissed that I would be treated that way, and now he is heading over with Taylor. I know it is a crazy way to get him to come over, but I thought it would be fun.

"Who do I need to fire right now?!" I can hear Christian yell. I run to him to calm him down.

"Christian, it's okay, I found us a table." I tell him, as I walk closer to him. He looks me over, licking his lips, in appreciation of my outfit. "Hello baby, happy birthday." I tell him, as a hug him. I wink at Taylor, letting him know everything is setup. He nods in understanding.

"Tell me what asshole didn't help you, so I can fire him." He asks, glaring at the hostess. I drag him away from the innocent girl, trying to calm him down by rubbing his back.

"Don't worry about it baby. I got us a private table. I should be apologizing to you for forgetting your birthday."

"It's fine. We have both been busy." He explains, but I can tell he was disappointed.

"Well I promise to make it up for you tonight." I whisper in his ear. He rubs my butt suggestively, pleased by my words. "Plus, at least you get to play hard after working so hard!" I yell, as we get closer to the door, my signal to the others letting them know Christian is here.

"Yeah…I guess."

Once we walk into the room, people jump out and yell, "SURPRISE!" Christian looks shocked by everyone here. "Surprise baby." I whisper to him, hoping he is not angry. He turns to me, and gives me a delightful grin.

"Thank you sweetheart." He gives me a peck on the lips.

In comes Mia, jumping up and down, "Are you surprised?! Are you surprised?! Are you surprised?!" She ask, jumping in Christian's arms.

"Yes Mia, thank you."

"Don't thank me, thank Ana."

"I will, later." Christian says, winking at me.

I let him greet his guests, and run over to the balcony to get Snoopy. We all agreed not to give him a gift, except for the dog. Christian is so hard to get a gift for, it would be pointless. People ended up donating to Grace's foundation.

I kneel down to Snoopy, and straighten his red bow. I grab his leash and nervously walk back into the ballroom. I hope he likes the dog. I wasn't thinking this might not be a good gift, considering where we live and how busy he can be. But he would talk about how he wished he had a dog growing up. _I hope this is a good idea._

People are congratulating him on his birthday. He seems happy with the attention, and was already handed a drink. I try to get his attention. "Happy Birthday." Christian turns towards me, and smiles, but it fades when he looks down at the dog. "His name is Snoopy," I explain. "He is a Doberman Pinscher. He is considered a guard dog. I thought you would like that." I continue, but he gives no reaction. Everyone else I staring. "We can take him back or maybe give him to another family, if you don't want him…"

Christian kneels down, and Snoopy slowly walks towards him. Christian has his hand extended out to him, and Snoopy sniffs it. "It is okay boy. I'm with her." He tells Snoopy, trying to convince him he is a good guy. I found this to be so cute. Snoopy licks his hand and lays down to roll on his back. Christian chuckles and rub his belly. "He likes to be rubbed, just like me."

"Christian!" Grace chastise him.

"Thank you sweetheart. I love him." He says rubbing him all over. "Come on Snoopy." He tells him, and they both walk out to the catering table, where he gets food for him and the dog.

"You know what this means," Elliot comes over to me, as the rest of the guest start to mingle and party.

"What?"

"Christian will officially love the dog over you." I laugh, thinking he won't, but Snoopy will be a close second. I push El away, telling to go have fun.

I take a moment before I go off and mingle. Seeing family, friends, and coworkers all around, having fun at Christian's birthday. I then look at Christian, who has a plate of food and drink, talking to Ros, who is probably making fun of how old he is getting. He has Snoopy eating from his own plate. Already he is spoiling our dog, but I can't help but be happy for him. I am happy for us. I never imagined having such a fascinating, smart, challenging, stubborn, sexy, loving man be with me.

This life of ours, it couldn't get any better. _It will tonight._

~oOo~

 **Christian POV**

"I want the best bed for him, at least 3 of them. Make sure it is large, he is about 100 pounds. I also need a dog walker for him. I need a list of the best food for a Doberman Pincher. I also want a good leash for running." I demand one of my assistants, while sitting at the Four Season's Penthouse suite. Snoopy is laying on some large hotel pillows falling asleep. He had a long night mingling with everyone, as they constantly want to pet him. I try to protect him from the vultures, but he took it well. "Get this done by tomorrow morning. We will be back home around 12:00 pm." I end the call, once I am done with the list.

Ana was going to have Snoopy taken back to our home, but our home it is not ready for him yet. Plus, I wanted him around a little longer. I kneel down rubbing his back, as he rest. I can't believe Ana got me a dog. I never thought of getting a dog, always thinking I was too busy and they would be too much of a hassle. But, I am so happy to have him. I already have ideas of running with him every morning and bringing him to work a few days of the week. And he is a guard dog. He probably will be better than some of my personal guards.

I get comfortable, getting rid of my coat and tie. I go to the bar to pour a little bit of scotch and a few ice cubes. Ana didn't want me to drink too much for some reason. She says she had more planned later. I don't know what else should could do. She work her ass off setting up the party. I was completely surprised by it, thinking she forgot my birthday, but she made the day really special for me. Now, she is making sure everything is cleaned up. I told her not to bother, but she wants to make sure everything is spotless. She is a much better person then I.

I had Taylor stay with her, since she insisted on me relaxing. He is keeping me updated on what is happening. He told me they are almost done.

I sit on the sofa, taking off my shoes and socks. I stretch out on the lounger, and turn on the television. I turn to an old movie on Turner Classic. Ana has gotten me into movies and television lately, now I am a movie buff. Tokyo Story is on, and I lean back to watch it.

It gets me thinking about getting older. I am 35 now. I wouldn't say I am an old man yet, but I am getting there. Reflecting on my life, I have one of the most successful business in the world. I am the second wealthiest person. Gates took his title back this year with a few internet investments he made. Bastard. I got a lot closer to my family, making my mother happy once in my life. I am starting to relax more, which makes my doctor and psychiatrist pleased. I got rid of the shitty people in life, like Elena.

Now, I have Anastasia. She is the love of my life. I never thought I would have that. Initially I thought I shouldn't be with her because she was too kind, honest, and sweet. Then I was obsessed with her, constantly thinking about her body, her mind, how tenacious she was, how she never back down from me, like many men above her. Then I got to be imitate with her and I knew I was hooked. For several months we got to explore each other sexually. She is constantly pushing me back into doing more BDSM, but love when she tells me what she wants when we are fucking. I never thought I met my match when it came to sex, but Ana does.

Looking into the future, I get marry her. She said yes to my proposal.

We are practically married already, however, making it official seems right. Ihad Kate help me get the perfect ring. I wanted to propose to her on a romantic weekend in Aspen. I had it all planned out, but I couldn't wait. The most important part of the proposal was it to be private and romantic, which it was. The only problem with proposal was I couldn't fuck her senseless in my parent's boathouse.

(Knock, Knock, Knock)

I look at the door, surprised someone is knocking so late. "You are going to answer that Snoops?" Snoopy lifts his head to look at me and the door. He sniffs a couple of times, and decides to lay back. Maybe he is not much of a guard dog. "I guess I will get that." Letting him know he doesn't have to get up.

I walk over to the door, and look through the peep hole. I can only see a woman with long brown hair and a coat, but I can't see her face, considering her head is bowed down. "Who is it?" I ask.

"It is your special gift from Elliot Grey." The woman whispers through the door.

Fuck! El better not have gotten me a stripper. Knowing him, he might. I am going to beat him senseless for this. But first, I have to get rid of this woman.

I unlock and open the door, "Look lady, I'm not-" The woman lifts her head, and I instantly recognize her. "Anastasia."

"No, my name is Rose, and I'm here for your special birthday gift." She is walking in the hotel room without a proper greeting from me because she is wearing a long brown rain coat, heals, and her hair is long and wavy. She has lite makeup on, with dark red lipstick. Even the bag she is carrying is sexy. She is simply sexy. "I was told you were interested in photography. So your brother got a model for you to take pictures."

Finally thinking straight, I close and lock the door, and inquire more of what she has planned. "What kind of model are you Rose."

She opens up her jacket and hands it to me. I immediately grab it, so I can get a better look of her. "I am a lingerie model." She is wearing a white lace bra and thong, with white stockings pinned on with a matching garter belt. She turns around and leans over to open her bag. I lick my lips, wanting to lick her lips that are peak out of her thong. "I have the equipment you need." She hands me a professional digital camera to me, which I grab still not looking away from her sexy body. "I also have different outfits that I could wear based on your demands. Would you like to start with this?" She asks, holding even more lingerie in her hands.

What I really want to do is fuck her on different surfaces in the room. But then I remember one of my fantasies, taking pictures of Ana in different positions with very little clothing on. I want the most private pictures of her, for my eyes only. Now that I am starting to think properly again, I jump at the opportunity.

"No, keep what you have on." I demand her, placing her coat in the closet, and wrapping the camera around my neck. I take a chair from the dining table and place it in the middle of the room. "Take off your panties, and sit on this chair, legs wide open."

"Yes Mr. Grey." She responds, blushing. She takes of her panties and place them in her bag. She walks over to the chair, but I stop her.

"And from now on, you call me sir, if you want to keep your job." I tell her, enjoying the game we are playing.

"Yes sir." She sits on the chair, and opens her legs.

"Wider." I command, and she responds immediately. I kneel down and take a couple of pictures of her. "Place your hands behind you." She does, pushing her luscious breast out in the process. I take a few more pictures of her incredible sexy body. I move closer to her, reach in her bra, and tweak her nipple of her right breast. I do the same with her other breast. "Is there something wrong Rose?"

"No sir. Just surprised sir."

"I want the pictures to be perfect." I explain, giving her a dirty grin. I suddenly have an idea. "Lick my fingers." She does what I ask, putting two of my fingers in my mouth and sucking them. Once she releases them, I kneel down and push my two wet fingers inside of her.

"Uh!"

"Bark!"

"Quite Snoopy, I'm working here." Snoopy ears perk up, but he decides to lay down more comfortable, ignoring us. "Quiet Rose, I don't want you disturbing my dog over there." I smugly command, as I finger her.

"Yes sir." She gasps. I feel her clinching around me, getting aroused with my touch.

"I want you wet." Once I remove my fingers, and lick her delicious juices off of me, I continue to take a few pictures.

And that is how our night follows. I take several pictures of her with different lingerie. I took pictures of her plump ass with her only wearing a bow. I took pictures of her laying on the bed in simple lingerie in different positions. I even took fun picture so of her in different superhero t-shirts and matching panties, allowing her to be much more playful. I always made sure her nipples were hard in every picture. It was a tough job, but someone has to do it.

I decide I want her in less clothing. So I had her take off some of her lingerie, and I still took pictures. I had her put on my collar shirt I took off from tonight, and not button it up. I took pictures of her lovely cleavage, several times. I became fascinated by her nipples, licking them every chance I got. I couldn't help myself. Once she is naked, I took pictures of her, only allowing her to cover her chest. I had a good 100 pictures of her.

I setup a bath for her, and had her get in to relax, but I wasn't done. I had her pose naked with only bubbles cover her. She had some fun, getting me wet a couple of times, but I also got her wet, by making her masturbate.

"Stop." I demand her, making sure she doesn't come. "Come to the bedroom when you are done cleaning up."

I walk through the suite, checking on Snoopy who is passed out. I walk into the bedroom, and remove the rest of my clothing except my boxer briefs. I lay on the bed, slightly propped up with a couple of pillows. I look through the pictures. I am already hard, but decide to jerk a little bit enjoying the pictures of my private model.

"Sir. I'm sorry to interrupt." Ana surprises me, entering the bedroom.

"No need to apologize." I tell her, continuing to jerk off in front of her. She is wearing one of the hotel robes, with her wet hair running down her shoulders. "Take off your robe Rose." She does, and her curvaceous body is revealed to me. I grab the camera, and get ready for my next photo shoot. I desperately need to fuck her.

"Dim the lights." She turns off the main light, and partially turn on the end table lights. "Good, now I want you to fuck me Rose."

"That wasn't a part of my duties for tonight Sir."

"I'll make it worth your while tomorrow morning." I wink.

"Are you going to take pictures?" Ana nervously asks.

"Yes." She biters her lip, making me think she is unsure. I get up from the bed, and walk up to her. I rub her arms reassuringly, "These beautiful pictures will only be for me. Trust me." She looks up at me, contemplating what she should do. She bites her lip, but eventually beams.

"Only if you feed me breakfast tomorrow Sir." She request.

"You have a deal." I lay back on the bed, plopping my head against the fluffy pillows. I prepare the camera to take my favorite pictures of the night.

Ana walks to the side of the bed, and brushes her fingers along the blankets and my chest, while watching her fingers. I remember being so scared of her touch, but now I welcome it. I can tell she wants to kiss me, but I didn't ask her to. She gets in bed with me, laying by my side, waiting for me to stir. I only watch her movements.

For a couple of minutes, she delicately touches me, even cupping my cock with her small hand. I am actually enjoying her teasing, taking pictures of her movements. She tenderly fondle my balls, and gently brushes my cock with the softest touch. She pets my dick, pleased with what she sees. I can only react to the pleasure of her hand, enjoying the caressing.

She plays with my underwear, scratching at the stitches where the ridge of my cock hid. Ana got me so hard, it was becoming painful. Understanding that I needed to be free, she removes my boxer briefs, and lays back down next me, better rubbing my cock.

"Do you like that sir?" she ask.

"I do Rose," taking a picture of the hand job. "But enough of the teasing if you want breakfast tomorrow."

Ana leans in towards my dick. As she inches closer, I can feel her breath on my cock. She lowers her lips to blow hot breaths against me. I move her hair to the side, so I can get a perfect view. She takes a long lick up my cock. Finally, she lays her hot, sexy mouth on my throbbing girth. She moves her head slowly up and down. I continue taking pictures of the blowjob, worshiping her work.

I have to stop taking a pictures for a moment, groaning in pleasure. I am about to lose control, nevertheless I continue taking pictures, wanting to capture this moment. She licks me a few more times, lapping my cock until completely wet. She drinks up my pre-cum, sucking my cock clean. She closes her eyes, as she sucks my cock, flicking it with her tongue, and moaning in pleasure. My dick is enjoying the attention of her mouth.

I lay still, enjoying the view of my girl sucking my cock. My breaths did become labored, focusing on not coming in her mouth. In a way, it feels like she is taking advantage of me, since she is taking the lead, which is thrilling.

She releases me, taking a breath. My cock is pulsating for her, leaning towards her. She bites her lip at his reaction. "When I told you I want you fuck me, I meant it."

"Yes sir." Ana gets up, and sits on my dick without hesitation. She didn't bury my cock inside her, only letting her slit rub against me. She stared at me, as she rock her hips back and forth along my dick. I stare back, but still took a couple of pictures on top of me. Her wet hair lays along her chest, and I move it out of the way to get a better view.

Then she spreads her slit, and adjust herself to make my large cock fill her. She bites her bottom lip to refrain from groaning. It is still a tight fit, and she has to move slowly. She took a long, slow swipe of my length. Her pussy slid up my thick cock. Finally, I was inside her completely.

Ana leans back releasing a loud groan. She grind her clit against me, enjoying the friction. Are pants are in unison, matching the slow movements as she slickened my cock with her arousal. She watch my dick go inside her. The view made her extraordinarily wet. She rocks her hips faster, laying her hands beside me.

This gives me a perfect opportunity to take pictures of her humping me. I get real adventurous, and change the digital camera to take video. It is only short 30 second videos, but it is worth it, seeing my dick penetrate into her every time she ground up my length to make me disappear. My thickness spread her slit to an incredible width. She had to make exaggerated sways to reach the end of my cock. She's on all fours, breast bouncing, skin glistening with her sweat, my dick wet with her cum and full out moaning.

Enough was enough. I put the camera off to the side. I grab her thighs, controlling her movements. I move my hips at a quicker pace, so we can reach our destination. "Touch yourself." I demand, and she does, rubbing her clit. She is riding me now, as I penetrate her faster. She is groaning louder, and I am sweating, as I flex my muscles to fuck her from underneath.

I can feel her quiver and clinch around me. She is ready to come. I reach behind her, and smack her ass nice and hard. She comes hard over me, trembling through her orgasm. She collapses on top of me, and I use her, grinding my hips against her pussy. My dick glided in her tight pussy. Having my cock inside her, stretching her relaxed walls, I cum deep inside of her, making sure none of my semen leaked out. Without skipping a beat, she squeezes more and more come from my balls with several slow caresses.

"Bark, Bark!" I look pass Ana to see Snoopy barking at us. He is wagging his tail and jumping down in excitement. I realize he was watching us.

"What's wrong with Snoopy?" I ask Ana.

Without Ana opening her eyes or moving, she says, "He was neutered a couple of days ago. He probably is enjoying what he can't do," she jokes.

"My poor boy." I pat the bed allowing him to jump on. He lays on the corner of the bed.

"Christian." Ana chastises.

"What?" I ask. "I got to make sure he gets a good view. Might as well give him a good show." I flip her over, and start kissing her, so she can't protest. I flip Ana again, so she is on all fours. I now fuck her doggy style, emptying the rest of my load in her. "This is for you Snoopy."

I am a lucky son of a bitch.

 **A/N: That was the end of part 1 of their love story. Here is the pinterest page to check out the inspiration for this chapter and story overall:** **lady05giggles/50-shades-this-life-of-ours-part-1/. I know you can't copy and paste this link, but if you search lady05giggles, and click on my yoda icon, you can find the 50 Shades: This Life of Ours Part 1 board.**

 **Part 2 will be 5 years later in Christian's POV, and will be where the problems comes into play. I will let you know now though, I don't like Christian and Ana fight. So they will be partners in crime in part 2, not fighting.**

 **I want to write few more chapters before I post. So it will take a couple of weeks, but I will finish the story.**


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